


And Time Is Frozen

by xDnicki



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angel Harry, Angel Louis, Angel Niall, Angel Zayn, Angels, Angst, Dark Magic, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Lovers To Enemies, M/M, Magic, Magical Creatures, Multi, Mutual Pining, No Smut, OT5 Friendship, Pining, Witch Curses, Witches, but they would have been dead anyways in the time the story is set, camp instructor liam, drag queens and a lesbian poly couple, larry: friends to lovers, no one dies, ok one gets killed in a backflash in the year 1116, witch liam, ziam: fuck this curse i love you anyways, zouis are the friends with benefits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 06:29:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 107,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8317387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xDnicki/pseuds/xDnicki
Summary: The annoying twin pair in Liam’s group he has to instruct during a summer camp was supposed to be his biggest problem. Then he meets Zayn. One of the only few cursed angels left. It’s a family curse that’s been in Zayn’s family for centuries. Zayn never had any trouble until his world finds out about the human Liam. Soon, secrets from the past are being revealed and puzzle pieces fit together. Before too long, the past is catching up on them faster than they can run -or fly.(AU where Zayn is a cursed!angel ; OT3 are angles too; Liam is a camp instructor until he is running away from magic creatures and himself. Just another love-is-stronger-than-any-curse-in-the-world fic)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: English isn’t my first language, so bear with me. If you are looking for a cute fic where Ziam kiss a lot and are cute boyfriends so you can escape to a happy place with your boys, then, no, this fic is not for you. But if you wanna follow Liam on a journey where he learns something new about himself and has to face struggles he never thought he had to deal with, then you are very welcome. 
> 
> **Warning: I’d say this fic has a happy ending, but i know that many read ‘happy ending’ as ‘Ziam endgame’, so I am not gonna tag it like that. That tag has to wait for book 2.**
> 
> [ Feel free to message me on tumblr :) ](http://irishpalatines.tumblr.com//)
> 
> (I just want to say a massive thank you to my beta Tjaša who binge read this in 2 days and who always was right by my side through most of this fic. You are the bomb and i love you very much. Also, thank you Toni for being so supportive and encouraging of everything I write. And I wanna say thank you to Ria, Andy, Emily and Channy who helped me a lot, too. And just thank you for everyone who ever liked my writing on tumblr, it really encouraged me to continue writing this)

#  Day One

 

Liam never wanted to sign up for this. _Never_. But his mom didn't shut up about how good it'll look on his resume, if he babysat –well _instruct_ is what they called it on the website, a summer camp for six weeks. The tents that they are going to stay in _aren't_ the problem; Liam loves the nature and can't wait to have no contact to home for the next six weeks. The problem _isn't_ that he has to look after kids from the age six to nine. The Problem is, or _are_ , a pair of twins who he is in charge of. They are nine and were made to ruin his life. Both, physically _and_ mentally.

He had hoped the organizer would put him in charge of the kids between twelve and fourteen, so he has at least a bit of free time. But the universe is, like always, against him. And now he is in charge of the youngest kids who need guidance 24/7. And he is only nineteen years old, basically he is still a kid himself.

It was eight-fifteen am when he had arrived at the bus stop in the morning. The kids were already assigned to a group chosen by the organizer. All Liam had to do, was take the red clip board that was handed to him with five names written on it and give his signature to look after them and to protect them with his life. That's not exactly how it was written on the paper, but that's exactly how they meant it. Liam isn't stupid, really.

A couple minutes later, he had called his group together to introduce himself and to see who he is going to babysit –ehm, _instruct_. The names of his five protégés are  Devin (7), Nobu (8), Aalam (6), Julian (9) and Drew(9). It didn't take long until he had realized, this was going to be the worst six weeks of his life.

It's nine-thirty when the bus finally starts moving. Liam is sitting with his kids in the back of the bus. Aalam is already his favorite; the six year old is sitting next to him and has been asleep on Liam's shoulder as soon as they had settled down in their seats. He is the youngest out of the five. Unfortunately, the twins, Julian and Drew, are sitting behind him in the back row of the bus. He regrets choosing the sit next to the window as soon as the twins started to kick his seat, he had no way of getting out of there without waking up Aalam – and Liam is definitely _not_ that selfish.

Liam decided to ignore it. _Thud_. They are just kids. _Thud_. They'll get bored, eventually. _Thud_. All Liam needs to do, is act like an adult and ignore them. _Thud_. _Thud_.  He takes a deep breath in and takes his book out of his bag. _Thud_ _Thud_ _Thud_. He even hears them giggle into their arms. Liam never regretted any decision as much as he does this one right now. He bangs his head against the window just after twenty minutes of the ride.

The bus drive took four and a half hours. To Liam it felt like a non-stop _"Stop_ _kicking my seat!"_ _"Please_ stay _in your seat!"_ _"Keep the seat belt on!" "Put your finger out of Linda's nose, that's not how a gentleman behaves." "Put your pants back up, if you need to pee the bathroom is over there." "STOP KICKING MY SEAT!"._ Those were directed to the same two boys during the first half hour of the trip. And that half hour, was repeated _nine_ times.

☼

Liam says a thankful prayer to whoever is listening to him by the time they have lunch at the camp. _Finally_ he has a few minutes of peace. The sleeping tents were already set up; each one has a piece of wood stuck in the ground with a color strike, that matches the clipboards the instructors have received. The tent's are bigger than Liam had imagined. They also have camping beds, more luxurious than Liam had in mind from his own camping trips when he was younger. Each bed even has two more blankets laying on top. Liam remembers how he always slept on the ground in a sleeping bag and how he always had to scoot closer to the other boys to stay warm during the night.

Liam's eyes wander around the dining tent. It's closed off on all four sides to keep the bugs out. Not a bad idea, he thinks. His bum hurts from the long sitting though and the wooden bench he is sitting on now is making it even worse. Liam sharing a table with the other instructors and listens with half an ear to a story the girl his age tells in front of him. Her name is Charlie and got a discount for her little sister who wanted to go to the camp with her friend.

"Liam, what brings you here?" She asks then. By the sound of her voice, she had asked him for the second or even the third time already. He blinks.

"My mom thought it'd look good on my resume. And I have always loved camping." He replies with a smile while dropping his fork onto the plate.  

Charlie smiles back. "Yeah, that's part of why I'm doing this too, to be honest. I mean I already have been part of the school band since secondary school and I play in the town orchestra. I'm part of the school swimming team and I play football in the local club as well. I've also lived in Germany for half a year too, but I thought if I decide to do something with kids, none of _those_ will give me credit, you know." She says without pausing to take a breath.

Liam gives her a forced smile before darting his eyes over to the organizer who is tapping her glass to get everyone's attention. He is more than happy for the interruption, Liam is way too tired to hold a conversation right now. He isn't really listening to the woman, either. It's the same Welcome to Camp speech Liam had heard so many times before.

"Alright, it is free time now until dinner. If you are eleven years or above, check with your instructor before leaving the tent. If you are younger, wait until your instructor gets to you." The woman finishes her speech. Liam sees the older kids getting up from the benches, trying to get their way to their instructor so they can leave with their friends. Liam hears Charlie telling a couple girls who come by to find her in an hour at their tent.

Lucky her, doesn't need to babysit kids 24/7.

The tent is cleared out quickly, only the six to ten year olds are sitting at the tables. There aren't many left, only three instructors were needed to fit all kids age ten or younger into groups. He quickly finds Aalam, scribbling on the paper duvet with a pen. Liam smiles, only four more to go. He also finds Devin and Nobu, sitting next to each other while drawing on each other's backs with their fingers. Liam feels warm inside, he is glad that some kids still know how to enjoy the day without the technology these days.

He turns around, making sure to get a better view of the tent. He can't find Julian and Drew. _Fuck._ He gets up off the bench, not caring that Charlie was in the middle of a story about her horse back home. He looks underneath the tables and asks the other three kids if they know where the twins went, but they shake their heads. Liam tries to hide his panic and takes Aalam's hand, he leads him to Nobu and Devin, telling them to wait here until he gets back.

A million thoughts are running through Liam's head. Fuck. If it turns out, he has lost two of his protégés on the first day, he is going to be in a lot of trouble. He leaves the dining tent and looks around. Kids are laughing and screaming in joy while running around. His heart beats faster. He runs towards their tent, nothing but their bags. Well, at least they haven't decided to be gone for longer.

Liam leaves the tent again and walks to the right, past the other sleeping tents. _There_. He spots the two young devils hiding behind a tent with a yellow color strike on the wooden sign, giggling. If it wasn't for the other kids and adults walking around, he would have told them off, but instead, Liam fakes a smile. "Wow, you two are good at this game. Now let's get back to the others." He says, while making awkward eye contact with an adult who walks by. The man gives him a wide smile, looking more than satisfied that everyone is having fun. If only he knew.

The two boys come over to him. "Let's play again!" Julian beams and tries to run away with his brother. But Liam is faster, he reaches for the two boy's arms and holds them back. It's not a tight grip, Liam would never hurt kids, no matter how much he wants to.

"No, let's get back to the others." He says.

"Fine." The twins pout. Liam lets go of the two, and follows them back to the dining tent.

Liam sighs in relief, when he sees Nobu, Devin and Aalam still sitting at the table where he had left them. "Alright, let's have some fun, what do you think?" Liam cheers and the three boys jump off the bench and chase each other out of the tent. Julian and Drew follow them and so does Liam.

☼

The rest of the day is going smoothly. When Liam sees all five of the boys sitting together during dinner he feels like he has at least done _something_ right today. Aalam is more yawning at the bun in front of him than actually eating it and by the other boys' empty plates he decides it's time to go to bed. He is tired as well, even though it's not even nine pm yet. He excuses himself from the table and takes his paper plate with him.

"Hey guys, ready for bed, huh?" He asks and collects the other paper plates as well.

Aalam is the first one up. "Yes, I'm so tired, Liam." He agrees.

"Alright, then let’s go." Liam says and lets the boys lead the way out of the tent. He throws the paper plates into the big blue trash bag that is laying outside.

They are getting changed in their tent and then take one last trip to the bathroom facility. Liam takes one last look up to the sky before entering the tent behind Nobu. The sun is gone and the stars are lighting up the dark sky. He lets his eyes freeze on the stars for another moment, then he sees a bird flying head down into the depths of the forest. Confused, he rubs his eyes and tries to get another look, but the bird is already gone.

Liam follows the boys into the tent and tucks each one into their sleeping bags. "If you need anything, or if you need to leave the tent, wake me up, alright?" He says, and holds eye contact with Julian and Drew until they nod in agreement.

"Can you read me a goodnight story?" Aalam asks then. Eyelids falling shut, mouth opening in a long yawn.

"Sure, uhm, do you have a book here?" Liam asks and sits down on a stool he found in a corner of the tent. He sees the other boys leaning up on their elbows, listening curious. Alam is handing Liam a book he remembers from his own childhood.

"Alright," Liam says and opens the book. "Once upon a time…"

**  
**

#  Day Two

 

Liam blinks a couple times to get used to the light. He already feels his back ache even though he hasn't moved yet. He hears the birds tweeting and sits up while rubbing his eyes. Something, _smells_. Liam looks around the tent. All five are still laying in their bed. He reaches for his hoodie and pulls it over his head. Then he hears a whimper. His head is turning immediately to Aalam.

Liam pushes his blanket back and gets off the bed. With four steps he is at the youngest side. "Hey, you alright?" He asks worried and knees down next to the boy.

Aalam sniffs. "I'm so sorry" He hiccups.

"Why?" Liam asks worried and tries to calm the boy by laying gentle his hand on his cheek. Aalam pulls the duvet back and –O _h_. That explains the strong smell.

Since Liam was the youngest one in his family he never had much experience with _that_. "Hey, it's alright. It happens. When did you notice?" Liam asks while trying to figure out what to do. If he would panic now, he would scare Aalam off and that is the last thing he wanted to do.

"It was still dark outside." The boy whispers. His eyes are teary.

"Come on, let me help you get you changed." Liam says softly in a whisper. Aalam sighs while Liam helps him getting off the bed. He places himself in front of Aalam in case if the others would wake up, they won't see him.

"Where do I sleep now?" Aalam asks worried while wiping his nose on his sleeve.  Liam pulls his pants down while Aalam rests his hands on Liam's shoulders to support himself while he steps out of the wet pants.

"We'll figure something out. Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Alright? And you can always wake me up. No matter what. Can you promise me, if you need something again, to let me know?" Liam asks careful. Aalam gives a little nod.

"Alright, great. Now we should, uhm, we should clean you off in the shower." Liam thinks out loud.

"No. I-I don't want anyone to see me like this, Liam." Aalam stutters.

Liam bites his lip and looks around. He totally understands him, he remembers when others wet themselves during the night at camp. It was the talk of the next day everywhere.

"Alright, I have an idea." Liam says and turns around to make sure the others are still asleep. He quickly takes a few steps to the side to his bag and reaches for the water bottle, then for a cloth he had brought from home.

Liam was scared someone would come in now and claim him of sexually aussaulting a minor. But this is what everyone would do, right? He can't let Aalam dress in clean clothes without, at least, cleaning him a bit.

Liam wets the cloth with the water and Aalam gets rid of his underwear. "So, here and clean your legs." Liam says and hands Aalam the cloth. One minute later the boy lets the cloth drop and Liam reaches for a new pair of underpants. Aalam rests his hands on Liam's shoulders again to support his weight so he can step into them. "See, like nothing happened." Liam smiles and helps the boy get some pants on as well.

"Thank you Liam." Aalam smiles and hugs the older one.

"You are welcome." Liam responds and pats the little boy's back with his hand. "Change your t-shirt too, alright? I will figure out how to get the sheets cleaned" Liam promises and pulls back from the boy.

The young man leaves the tent and finds Jen, the organizer. He explains her what had happened and she nods understanding while handing him a blue plastic bag and tells him to throw the dirty sleeping bag into the washing machine in the bathroom facility.  She also gives him a key for the store house where he can get a new camping bed.

Ten minutes later Liam is back in the tent, replacing the ruined bed with the new one and pushes the wet sleeping bag into the plastic bag along with the cloth and makes his way to the washing machine. He checks his clock, making sure he will be back in ninety minutes to get them again and makes his way back to the tent.

When he gets back, he sees the others awake already and getting dressed. "Can we use the bathroom before we go to breakfast?" Devin asks.

"Of course." Liam smiles and gives Julian and Drew the first warning look of today as they push each other to the ground.

Another day has started. Who knows what he can expect today.

As everyone is dressed and Liam is opening the tent, Aalam walks over to him and takes his hand and doesn't let go until they are in the dining tent. "Can you sit with us?" Nobu asks Liam hopeful.

"Sure." Liam smiles and sits down on the set table between Aalam and Julian.

"What is the plan for today?" Drew asks Liam while he chews on a sandwich.

"I think today is lake day, there is a really nice one somewhere in the woods and tonight we will have a campfire."

"A real campfire with marshmallows and singing?" Julian asks excited and locks eyes with his brother.

“Yeah.” Liam replies and eyes the twins warily.

☼

Half an hour later, Jen is giving the schedule for the day. They will leave at 11am for the lake, have a picnic there for lunch and then will be back at camp by 4:30pm. Dinner is at 6pm and at 7:30pm the campfire begins. Liam sighs, today is going to be a long day.

Liam keeps his eyes on Julian and Drew who whisper and giggle at each other as they make their way back to their tent to get ready for the fifteen minute walk. He holds the tent open and watches everyone get inside before he lets the sides fall closed behind himself. "Alright, is there anyone here who doesn't know how to swim?" He asks.

Aalam raises his hand "But my parents bought me this." He says proudly and holds up two arm floats. Liam nods and then looks over to Nobu.

"I started my swimming classes two weeks ago, but I still keep drowning." He frowns.

"I have enough room on my floatable board if you want to join me." Devin suggests with a smile and Nobu smiles back.

"We have an inflatable water ball with us." Drew adds excited.

Liam turns his back to the boys, then a yellow ball flies through the air and bounces off of Liam's head.

The boys in the tent start laughing. Liam turns around and picks up the ball from the ground, then he aims it at Julian with a grin. The ball flies back and bounces off of the kid's head, aswell. Liam turns back around and reaches for the sunscreen in his bag.

The kids groan in unison.

"None of you is leaving this tent without sunscreen." He orders. Aalam, Devin and Nobu sigh, but walk over to Liam. He squeezes some cream into their bowl-like hands and watches them covering their arms. "Julian and Drew." He warns, as he spots the two walking towards the tent entrance.

"You have to catch us first!" They yell and off they are, running out of the tent while laughing like maniacs.

Liam sighs and watches the other three giggle. "I'll be back. Please cover each other's backs too." He hands the tube over to Devin and runs out of the tent. He is making a 180° turn but can't find them. _Not again_. "Julian?" He calls out while  running to the left. "Drew?" He adds. There are already kids with their instructors waiting to follow the way that leads into the forest. He sighs.

"Liam?" A girl voice calls him over. Charlie.

"Hey Charlie. Have you seen Julian and Drew?" He asks while jogging over.

"The twins?" She asks. Liam nods.

"No, I didn't, sorry." She shrugs.

" _Fuck._ " He swears. He hears a bunch shocked girls _Oooh_ -ing at him. He doesn't have time to care about that though. He spots the two boys a bit further away, making faces at him.

Liam sprints off and jumps over a backpack that god-knows-who laid in the middle of the way. He suddenly is glad that his coach in school made him run so much. He catches the two boys and leads them on their shirts back to the tent. Ten minutes later they are joining the other groups.

Jen claps her hands "Awesome. Now that we all are here we can leave. It is important to not get into the water without your instructor. If you do so, you will be brought back to camp immediately." She warns. And then the groups are on their way.

A tiny hand is slipping into Liam's. It’s Aalam. The young man smiles down at the boy and holds the hand tighter. "Is it true that werewolves live here, Liam?" He whispers.

"Not as far as I know." Liam says.

"They do, though." Drew argues.

"They can smell six year olds and feed off of  their sweat." Julian adds in a deep whisper. Aalam grips Liam's hand tighter. Liam narrows his eyes at the twins

"Don't listen to them Aalam. I am the adult. I know that you don't have anything to fear here." Liam promises.

They arrive at the lake before too long. The place is beautiful. The sun is peaking out behind the trees, the grass is soft underneath their feet and the water is moving quietly to the movement of the earth. The birds are tweeting above them and the kids start to run around while their instructors try to get them under control.

Liam is spreading the blanket on the ground and gets rid of his shoes and his other clothing that aren't his swimming trunks. He looks around, making sure that Julian and Drew aren't near the water. He spots them chasing other kids around some trees and smiles. Thank god they know how to busy themselves without having to annoy him. Nobu, Devin und Aalam sit with him on the blanket.

"Can you help me with the inflatable board?" Nobu asks wide eyed. Liam gives him a smile and nods.

"Can you help me with my floating arms too?" Aalam questions.

"I will." Liam says and goes through the little boy's hair who is sitting next to him.

"Hey, do you need help watching your boys?" A shadow above him asks. Charlie.

"Yeah, that would be great" Liam smiles and starts blowing air into the board.

Aalam eyes Charlie curiously and scoots closer to Liam.

"Are you Liam's friend?" Nobu wonders.

"Well, I guess. I am instructing the girls from age thirteen to fourteen." She says with a smile.

Liam finishes the board and continues with Alam's floating arms. As soon as he finishes, he hears amused screaming from behind and then little arms slung around his shoulders. Liam falls over on his side and laughs as the kids climb on top of him.

"We defeated the monster!" Julian and Drew cheer.

Charlie giggles.

"Alright guys, how about we check out the water?" Liam suggests with crinkles by his eyes. The kids jump off of Liam and reach for whatever they want to take with them into the water. And before Liam can say anything else, the boys are running towards the water. He and Charlie follow them.

Liam shudders as the cold water hits his toes. He has no time though to get used to the water because the twins are already deeper in the water. He turns over to Charlie. "Can you watch over the others while I get the menaces?" He asks.

"Of course." she nods with a smile.

☼

The time until lunch is going by without any accidents. Charlie and her girls joined them for the picnic. It was nice. Charlie is fun and the boys seem to like her too, apart from Aalam.

After lunch, Liam lets the sun burn down on himself for a while. Aalam is laying next to him, talking about his cat back home. He listens carefully and makes sure to ask questions. Suddenly, the peacful moment was interrupted by screams. Loud screams. Liam jumps to his feet, Aalam is hiding behind the man's legs while everyone else is looking around, trying to figure out where the screams came from.

The instructors immediately called out for their proteges, to make sure all of their kids are here."Nobu? Devin?" Liam calls out and turns around, seeing the two running up towards him. "Julian and Drew?" He mumbles and turns around. He bites his bottom lip. "Julian? Drew?" He calls out louder. This is it. He can pack his things and leave the camp. Liam does a 180° turn, hoping he would find the twins hiding somewhere behind his back, but they aren't.

"Liam, look!" Aalam says and points to the trees in the distance. Liam turns around and sees the two kids running for their lives.

"There are demons in the forest!" Julian cries out, shock written all over his face. Liam breathes out, relieved the two are alive and aren't missing any limbs.

"There-There was a guy- his feet didn't touch the ground!" Drew rambles out of breath.

"I really should have a conversation with your parents about the kind of TV you are watching. You two sit down and don't leave this blanket until we leave!" Liam threatens. The two boys sit down quietly, their bodies still shaking and their eyes focused on the trees where they came from.

☼

They are back at camp. The sky is dark, filled with stars and the moon is peeking out  behind some of the trees surrounding them. The fire is warm and sending sparks up into the sky. The soft talking from the tired kids is mixing with the crackling of the fire. The atmosphere around the campfire is relaxed. The twins sit on each side of Liam, not saying a word while holding their sticks with marshmallows into the fire.

After a couple minutes Aalam comes over, rubbing his tired eyes. "Liam, can I sit on your lap?" He asks and yawns into his hand. Liam smiles and picks the little kid up off the ground so he sits with his back to Liam's front.

"Better?" He asks. Aalam nods and leans his head back against Liam's shoulder.

A smile creeps on his lips. He was so worried whether the kids would like him or not. The majority seems like they do. Liam sits a while longer at the fire, talking to Charlie who sits close by. Soon the first kids leave with their instructors to get ready for bed. Liam does the same.

He lays Aalam carefully into his bed and checks on the others too. "Today was fun huh?" He asks when he is standing between Nobu and Devin.

"Yes, I can't wait for tomorrow." Nobu beams excited.

"Me too. I am glad you are my instructor, Liam." Devin smiles.

Liam smiles back. "Thank you." He says and turns the light bulb off that is standing between the two beds. He makes his way over to the twins.

"I'm sorry for running away." Julian says, his eyes small.

"Me too Liam. But there was this boy and-"

Liam cuts him off, "No, I don't want to hear it. Now sleep." He orders.

"We lost our ball, there." Drew frowns.

"It's just a ball." Liam says.

"It was the last present we got from Dad." Julian says then.

Liam tries not to feel bad for them, but he does, he had to grow up without a Dad too. A drunk driver took his father's life. Life is unfair. "Sleep, I will talk to Jen tomorrow." He says. The two boys nod and turn around. Liam sighs and climbs into his own bed.

He listenis to the silence. The leaves of the trees are brushing against each other. His eyes are focused on the roof of the tent. He is not leaving now to get that ball. He is _not_ , he tells himself. Without success though. Liam sits up, making sure the boys are sleeping, and leaves. He knows he is going to regret this.

☼

Branches twist underneath his feet. He is facing a house and an old broken down wooden fence, making it clear where the private property begins. He takes a deep breath and takes a step forward.

" _Don't go past the fence!_ "

Liam freezes. It was a low, deep voice. He turns around, but he sees no one. He looks into the sky, but he sees nothing. He must have imagined it. He is sure. It's half past ten and nothing is here. All Liam needs to do, is finding that ball and then he will be out of here.

He takes another breath in and then steps above some old wooden pieces. He sees the yellow ball stuck between old roots a bit further away. But Liam doesn't even get that close. Before he can even think about taking another step, he feels a presence behind him; a hot breath hits his neck and a smell wafting around him. It's not a bad smell but–

"I told you not to go past the fence." He hears a whisper in his right ear. The voice is lighter this time, and it has an undertone like Liam had offended the person somehow.

And yet, all  Liam wants to do is scream. He wants to run. He wants to cry. But he _can't_. He isn't even able to _breath_. He is frozen, he can't even turn his head to see _who_ –or _what_ is breathing down his neck. The breath is fanning over his shoulders.

"You know, actually, I kill everyone as soon as they ignore my warning." Liam hears. An arm slings over his shoulder, he lets his eyes jump to the fingers. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for black nail polish. But Liam doesn't judge. The fingers raise to pat his cheek. The nails are cold against his too hot skin.

Maybe he fell and hit his head on the way here. Or he got some weird ass drugs mixed into his water bottle. Or maybe the past two days were just a bad dream and he is sleeping in his own, comfortable bed, waking up in a couple seconds to his mother’s waffles. He doesn't though.

He hears the wind blow its way through the leaves on the trees. He would have shuddered if he could move his body. The arm disappears from his shoulder, the hot breath disappears from his neck. A young man, not much older than him appears in his sight. He has raven hair, brown eyes like melted chocolate, and a face, so beautiful Liam can't compare it to anything he has ever seen. He sees a silver necklace blinking in the moonlight around his neck.

He bites his lip at the attractive man in front of him. Liam appreciates both women and men the same. He has a poster of Justin Bieber and Keira Knightley on his wall for a reason. The raven haired man narrows his eyes while mustering him. "You don't seem like that kind of boy who would get himself into danger." The boy standing in front of him says, sounding disappointed.

Liam merely blinks at him.

"You can move _now_ , you know." The other man sighs and rolls his eyes. Liam blinks once more and then carefully moves his body to make sure everything is still in tact. It is. The boy before him rolls his eyes again. "Always acting like I'm some _demon_ " he huffs.

"Well, you _did_ appear out of nowhere." Liam says more confident than he thought he would.

" _Me_? This is _my_ property. I can _appear_ and _disappear_ _however_ and _wherever_ I want to. But _you_ -" The boy taps Liam's nose, opening his mouth to add something, but another voice cuts him off.

"Zayn, are you playing with some kids again?" A boy calls from the house entrance.

"None of your business, Louis!" Zayn calls back.

"Come inside, you know Harry won't start the movie until you are with us." The other boy says the last part with a pout.

Zayn sighs " _Fine_ , I'm coming, but I'm taking my guest with me." He demands.

Liam can't see Louis' face from where he is, but he is sure the man standing in the open door sighs "Whatever." And within a blink, the boy is gone. Z

ayn turns back around and grins, showing his white teeth. "So, you haven't introduced yourself, yet." He says and lays one arm over Liam's shoulder again. Liam's feet follow without telling them to do so.

"I- N- B-" Liam tries to form words, tries to tell the stranger he needs to get back to camp before anyone notices he is gone, but the words won't leave his mouth. They walk up the stairs to the front door.

"You said?" Zayn says while the door opens further without touching it. Zayn is standing with his back towards the door, one foot inside while smiling at Liam. Liam locks eyes with the stranger and then his feet step over the threshold.

Liam swallows, if he isn't already dead by now, he definitely will be in a bit.

"Liam." He answers the question, as the door falls shut behind them.

"Welcome, _Liam._ " Zayn says and lays his hand on Liam's back to guide him down a hall. It's cold, Liam notices. Colder than outside. "You want to watch a movie with us?" Zayn asks, it doesn't sound like a question though, more like a demand.

"I should go back to the camp, before anyone notices I'm gone." Liam bites his lip.

"Nah, don't worry. They won't notice you are gone." Zayn grins, like he means it. Like he knows something that Liam doesn't.

" _Finally!_ " Louis groans as they enter the living room.

Liam sees two other boys looking at him. One with brown long curly hair and one with blond shorter hair. They just give him a quick smile and then the movie starts playing. Zayn sits down on the couch and pulls Liam down next to him. If he would have had the choice between this and having Julian and Drew sabotage him all day long, he'd choose the twins. Liam watches the clock, he isn't interested in the movie at all. The time is going by and he knows as soon as he gets back to camp, he can pack his  bags and leave.

Ninety long minutes later the movie is finished. "What a great movie!" Harry beams and looks questioning to the others.

"Honestly H, it's still the same movie we have seen seven hundred times before." Louis answers the man while looking at him with soft eyes and a fond smile.

"Actually, this was the four-hundred-seventy-fifth time." The other boy says matter of factly. One moment later a pillow flies across the room and hits the blond haired man. "Oi. Rude." He complains.

"You know how Harry gets when you talk about his favorite movie like that, Niall." Zayn giggles at the blond man.

"Yea, I know. I rather would have watched some superhero nonsense, though."

" _Ey_ " This time it's Liam and Zayn that talk at the same time. Three pair of eyes look at them.

"You like superheroes?" Zayn asks and raises his eyebrow at Liam.

 "Nothing better than Batman." Liam replies.

"Spiderman." Zayn argues.

"Here we go," Harry sighs and gets up off the couch. "I'm gone. Not here for this conversation." He says and holds his hands up in surrender.

"Me too." Louis gets up too and guides Harry out of the room with a hand on his back.

Liam raises an eyebrow at them as they leave.

"You can't seriously think that." Zayn says.

"I do." Liam says, making quick eye contact with Niall.

"Nah, I'm not helping you with this. Good luck." Niall laughs and leaves the room.

"Spiderman can fucking shoot spiderweb out of his hands." Zayn continues.

"Well, yeah" Liam trails off, unsure of what else to say.

"What brought you here anyways?" Zayn asks then and narrows his eyes curiously at him.

Liam swallows "Two boys lost their ball here and I wanted to get it for them." Liam replies.

Zayn cooks his head to the side "You mean the twins who screamed at Harry earlier today?" Zayn giggles.

Liam nods. "I guess, yeah."

Zayn laughs. "I think Harry was more scared of them than they were of him."

"I was not scared. I was simply _not expecting_ them standing behind me." A voice calls from another room.

Zayn snorts. "Ignore him, he was scared." Zayn whispers to Liam who bites his lips to stop a giggle to come out of his mouth.

Liam takes another look to the clock. "I gotta go." he says and gets up off the couch.

Zayn sighs and for a moment Liam is scared he won't let him go. "Don't forget the ball, though" Zayn says then. Liam nods and feels…sad?..disappointed?. Liam shakes his head. It's been a long day.

"Alright" Liam nods and makes his way awkwardly through the house. He feels three pair of eyes on his back but doesn't see anyone.

As soon as he is out of the door, he runs. He runs to the roots where he saw the ball, grabs it, and then runs all the way back to camp without looking back. It takes ten minutes until his breathing calmed down enough, so he can enter the tent without worrying to wake them up with his heavy breathing. He sets the ball down between the twins beds and then lays down in his own. He reaches for his phone to see the time. It's barely past eleven.

He rubs his eyes a couple of times and before he can think about it any more he falls asleep; dreaming of brown eyes.

**  
**

#  Day Three

 

Liam doesn't even care that there is a food fight happening during breakfast. His head hurts and he is tired. He can't stop thinking about yesterday night – He can't stop thinking about _Zayn_. The way he wasn't able to move when the stranger was standing behind him, the way Liam's feet followed him even though he wasn't telling them to do so. Liam tries to tell himself it was just a dream, but he still has Zayn's smell in his nose. He still feels the burn of his touch on his cheek. Liam reaches for his glass of water and drowns it.

"Everything alright?" Charlie asks worried as she sits down next to him on the bench, her hair is covered in scrambled eggs.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired." he says.

"Well then, you better get rid of it fast, today we are signed up to go grocery shopping for the pizza party later today." She smiles.

Right. Today is make-a-pizza day for dinner.

Liam presses his eyes closed and rubs his temples. "I did not sign up for this, though." he complains.

Charlie giggles. "Neither did I, Jen did." Liam sighs. "Come on, it'll be fun. I think your kids will power themselves out while in the store" she says, tone full of optimism.

A smile forms on Liam's lips, "Doesn't sound so bad" he says. The girl smiles back at him and pats his back.

When Liam looks up at her, she smears strawberry jelly on his cheek. "Really?" He asks amused. Charlie laughs until she has a handful of butter wiped over her face as retribution. This time it's Liam who is laughing.

Suddenly, he catches a shadow on the side of the tent, a shadow that had looked just like Zayn. The shadow though disappears as fast as it had come and before he gets caught up in the moment, all kinds of food is being thrown at him from every direction.

Liam is still laughing when he runs after his kids to the showers. Thank god their parents aren't around to see this. "Alright guys, we have to shower quickly and then we take a trip to the grocery store." Liam announces.

"Awesome!" Devin beams.

"Can I sit on the kid's attraction in front of the store?" Nobu asks with wide eyes.

"Me too" Aalam cheers.

"Sure, if they have something like that." Liam smiles. He ignores the look that Julian and Drew are exchanging.

☼

 

One hour later Liam and his kids are in the car on their way to the store. The car is driven by a 60 year old lady who is listening to an audio book about cats with superpowers.  Liam is sitting in the passenger seat, in the row behind him are Julian and Drew, on request by Liam. And in the back row are Aalam, Nobu and Devin. The drive is quick and _thankfully_ unproblematic. When the car pulls up into the parking lot, he sees Charlie already waiting for them at the store, waving and smiling big, as the car drives past them.

As everyone is out of the car and Liam is holding on to Aalam's hand they are crossing the parking lot to the store entrance.

"There you are, I thought you got lost on the way." the girl greets Liam with a giggle.

Liam smiles. "Sorry, we had some difficulties getting dressed." Liam says and points at Julian and Drew.

The girls behind her start giggling, causing the twins to blush. "We know how to get dressed." Julian pouts.

"You and Julian wore your underpants on your head." Aalam points out.

"And then you put your socks on your hands." Nobu adds with a furrowed eyebrow.

The twins cross their arms in front of their chests and follow everyone into the store silently. Liam turns around and waits for the twins to get in front of him so he can keep an eye on them. Three girls are pushing each a shopping cart while the others grab the things that are written on the shopping list.

Charlie falls into step next to Liam. "So, I'd assume you don't get any free time during camp, do you?" she asks.

"No. These guys keep me on my feet all day." Liam says with a smile. The twins do cause him a lot of trouble, but they also have moments when they behave.

"If you need any help, you can always look for me. My girls are mostly doing their own thing anyways." She offers.

Liam laughs. "Alright. I'll keep it in mind." he says and locks eyes with her.

He didn't realize that he had stopped walking until Aalam pulls on his stretched arm. "C'mon Liam." The little guy looks up at Liam while continuing pulling on his hand. Liam blushes and starts chasing Aalam who laughs loudly while trying to be faster. Liam catches him though, and swirls him around in the air while the little guy giggles. Liam lets the laughing boy back down and takes a look into the loaded shopping cart, he is opening his mouth to say something when-.

"Catch me if you can-" Julian laughs from his right, and Liam can only watch the older of the twins running away from his brother.

 "Hey!" Drew pouts and runs after his brother before Liam can stop him.

"Guys! No running in the store!" Liam yells and takes off after them.

He hears the twins laughing and running through aisle after aisle, not running from each other anymore, but Liam. The twins are looking backwards to see where Liam is, none of them is looking forward to see where they are running. The twins disappear behind a corner, "Stop it! You'll hit-" Liam yells, but it's too late.

He hears it before he sees it.

" _Ouch!_ "

” _Ugh!_ "

" _For fucks sake!_ ".

Liam rounds the corner and blinks at the picture in front him. Julian and Drew are lying on the ground while a too familiar face is staring down at them. Liam sighs and walks over to help the boys back up. "I told you not to run!" Liam scolds them.

"Sorry." The two boys mumble in unison.

"It's not me you ran over." Liam glares at them.

"Aw come on, they could never run me over." The guy from yesterday says and ruffles with each hand through the twins hair. The two groan and step back.

"Oh really?" Julian raises his eyebrow at the raven haired guy.

"Now Julian!" Drew yells and attacks with his brother the man in front of them.

Zayn laughs while the two kids try to bring him down. Liam rolls his eyes, as the twins groan while trying to bring Zayn to the ground, but fail. Zayn doesn't seem to be faced by it at all.

"Julian, Drew. Stop it!" Liam says and tries to pull the boys away from Zayn.

"Let them." Zayn locks eyes with him amused.

"Zayn, what are you doing?" Harry is coming up behind the other guy.

"Playing with the kids." Zayn replies, like it's obvious.

Suddenly, Julian and Drew start screaming. Harry screams with them.

"Liam!" The twins shout and hide behind Liam.

"That's the demon from the day at the lake." Drew says, voice shaking while he points to Harry.

"Hey!" Harry frowns. "I'm not a demon.".

"Liam, that's the one who didn't touch the ground with his feet!"

Julian exclaims and runs away with his brother. Liam sighs while looking after them running away. Harry opens his mouth to say something but stops himself before flashing a smile to Liam and turning around on his heels.

Liam and Zayn stare silently at each other for a moment. Liam feels his body freezing under Zayn's eyes, he can only hear his heartbeat in his ears. The noise around him is gone, he only sees Zayn standing in front of him, watching him, until-.

"Liam?"

Liam feels himself getting dragged out of the haze, he hears the beep of the checkout point, people talking around him, children laughing and then he recognizes Charlie's voice from behind him

"Yeah?" He asks while turning around to face her.

 "Are you coming?" She blinks at him. "Eh, yeah. Of course." He answers. When he turns around, Zayn is gone. Liam breathes out. He is going crazy.

"We still need a couple of things." Charlie says and loops her arm around Liam's and guides him through the store. At every corner, behind every aisle, between every shelf, Liam sees those brown eyes, but as soon as he blinks, they are gone.

Liam can only start focusing again on the shopping, when Aalam takes his hand and pulls him along.

"Liam, look, there is a space ship, can I have a ride?" Nobu pulls excited on Liam’s t-shirt as they leave the store.

"Can I go too? There are two seats." Devin adds and pulls on Liam's other side. Liam locks eyes with Charlie who smiles and shrugs. "Ok" he agrees and follows the four running boys over to the plastic space ship. His hand still guiding Aalam.

Devin and Nobu climb into it while laughing. "You see, I don't even have to throw money in there for you to be happy." Liam jokes.

"No, make it move, Liam." Devin eyes light up.

"Yes, Liam, please!" Nobu beams.

Liam sighs and pulls out a quarter from his pants. As soon as the money is inside, different colours start to light up the plastic spaceship and a sound starts filling the outside of the grocery store.

"Awesome!" Devin cheers while Nobu laughs.

Liam giggles, remembering how amazing it used to be for himself, when he was allowed to have a ride on one of those things.

"I want to go, too" Julian says then.

"Yeah, please Liam." Drew asks.

"Me too," Aalam joins.

Liam sighs.

One minute later the ride is over and Nobu and Devin climb back down, making room for Julian and Drew. The two sit down and look with wide eyes at Liam.

"Please, Liam." Drew says, eyes wid.

"Fine." He huffsa laugh and drops another quarter into the machine. Suddenly he feels a presence next to him.

"See, it's a give and a take, I think they'll behave from now on." Charlie says while leaning into his side.

"I doubt that." He says. The girl snorts and bumps their hips.

When the ride is over and the twins have climbed down, Aalam blinks at him. Liam smiles at him and picks the little one up into his arms "Alright, you can go, too." he says and sits Aalam into the seat while the kid laughs.

"You too" Aalam beams down at him.

Liam bites his lips "You better pray this won't break, then." he jokes and sits down next to Aalam while throwing yet another quarter into the machine. He is way too big for this, his knees are reaching his chest and his bum is too big for the little seat but Aalam’s laugh next to him is carefree. Charlie and the other kids who are watching are laughing too.

Then the shop door opens and _he_ steps out. His face changes from stressed and furrowed eyebrow into a grin.

"Seems like you do have a soft heart for kids." he says.

Liam bites his lips "Why do you think I don't?"

Zayn shrugs.

The ride is finished and Liam helps Aalam out of the space ship. "That was fun, Liam." he says, and reaches for the man's hand.

"It was." Liam agrees.

"You should come over again, tonight." Zayn whispers as Liam walks by. The young man swallows and looks at the stranger.

"Come on, Liam. He is friends with the demon." Julian says and pushes on Liam's leg to get the man moving.

"Yeah, they will eat you." Drew adds.

Zayn laughs. "Actually, we only eat children." He whispers and flashes his teeth. The two boys run away screaming and hide behind Charlie.

"They won't notice you are gone." Zayn says as he walks past him, leaving Liam behind.

"Who is that?" Charlie is by his side, laying her hand on Liam's shoulder. If he sees Zayn's eyes turning red as he looks back at them, then he is sure it was just a trick of his mind.

"No one." Liam says and follows the group back to the waiting cars.

Liam's headache kicks in as soon as they are in the car. The kids start yelling their own version of some song that Liam doesn't recognize and rests his head against the cool window.

He sighs relieved as soon as the car pulls up at the camp grounds. Liam doesn't have time to take another breath, the doors pull open and Julian and Drew jump out of the car, laughing while their figures become smaller in the distance. Liam let's his head fall back against the soft headrest of his seat.

He decides to let them run for a while, it's not like they can get lost on the grounds. There is a fence that keeps them from getting towards the streets. Liam climbs out of the car "What do you wanna do?" Liam asks the remaining kids.

 "Uno" Devin says.

"Drawing" Aalam yawns and blinks slowly with his eyes.

"Uno sounds fun" Nobu looks towards Devin.

"Alright. Then we'll look for a nice place under a tree, what do you think?" Liam suggests. He helps the boys out of the car and walks with them to their tent. "Do you guys need anything?" Liam says while holding the tent open so the three can enter.

He doesn't get the answer he expects, he hears three screams instead. Liam quick steps into the tent, expecting to see dead bodies or a bear. But what he sees instead, are two little figures with a white duvet over their heads that have two holes for the eyes. Well at least he doesn't have to go outside to look for the two menaces, now.

Julian and Drew laugh while pulling the duvets off themselves.

"Hey!" Nobu pouts.

"That was not fun." Devin frowns.

Liam makes his lips go into a thin line and nuzzles his hand through the youngest kid's hair who is hiding his face in Liam's hip.

☼

The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting above them in the trees. Liam has his back resting against the tree trunk while Aalam is sitting between his outstretched legs, silently scribbling on a paper. He has a big smile on his lips, the shock from earlier forgotten. His tongue is poking out from between his lips.

Nobu and Devin are sitting next to him playing Uno. And the twins are sitting with their arms crossed on his other side. "This is boring, Liam." Drew pouts. A rope is tied around both of their ankles while the other end is tied to a root on the ground.

"Good." Liam grins at them. He doesn't know if he is allowed to have them literally tied down, but no one has stopped yet to tell him so.

"Look, Liam. That's us in the space ship from earlier." Aalam beams and holds the picture up to show it.

"Wow, this looks amazing. You are really talented." Liam says excited.

A shadow falls over them.

"I see you found a way to handle the twins." Charlie says with a grin.

Liam looks up and chuckles "Yeah."

"Can I sit down?" She asks.

"Of course." Liam smiles and watches her sit down in front of him, her legs folded like a pretzel on the grass. Aalam shoots her a glare but continues drawing on the picture.

"Can you let us go now, Liam?" Julian asks with a furrowed eyebrow.

Liam sighs, "I don't know."

"We promise to not run away, we will stay right here where you can see us." Drew says.

Liam presses his lips into a thin line "What do you think Aalam? Should we give them another chance?"

"Mhm." Aalam hums but smiles. "Yes." he nods.

Liam chuckles and leans over to get rid of the rope on their ankles.

"Can we go to our tent and get a ball?" Drew questions.

"Our tent is right there-" Julian says and points to the tent in the distance.

"Ok." Liam agrees. He watches the twins run towards the tent, a few moments later Julian comes running out with the ball in his arms and Drew chasing him. The twins stop where they sat before and start playing.

It's five pm when the bell rings to let everyone know to meet in the dining tent.

Liam and Charlie are sitting with their groups at the same table. Each seat has a plate with Pizza dough and tomato sauce in front of them. There are also various bowls with all kinds of vegetables and meats spread on the table that can be used for toppings. Liam watches with a smile as his boys use the toppings to make faces on their pizzas, he decides to do it too.

Once they are finished with making their pizzas. Someone, with the name tag Susan,  gives Liam and Charlie a piece of paper with a time written on it when their pizzas will be ready.

☼

After Liam had put the boys to bed, he steps back out of the tent to stretch. The air is cool and it has gotten quiet around him. He is laying on the grass next to the tent and watches some stars that are sparkling in the sky above him. Someone lays down next to him.

"Good job today with the twins. They haven't tried to run away from you after you tied them down." It's Charlie.

Liam chuckles. "Yeah, I doubt they'll remember it tomorrow, though."

"You'll see." Her elbow is now touching his. He turns his head to look at her. She has brown eyes, her hair is tied in a ponytale. She is pretty.

"Thank you for helping me out, today."

Charlie smiles at him. "Of course. It'd be quite boring here, otherwise."

"Boring? You should be glad that you have the oldest kids to look after. They maybe need you when they need a tampon or a pad."

Charlie laughs, her laugh is echoing through the camp.

"Shhhh." Liam giggles silently while turning on his side, he is supporting his weight on his elbow as he looks down at her; he sees her eyes flicker to his lips. Liam ignores the face in his mind, ignores the brown eyes and the feeling he felt flickering to life around the other guy. He leans down, Charlie's eyes fall closed before Liam's.

"Liam!" Suddenly comes from the inside of the tent, followed by rustling leaves.

"Sorry." Liam whispers while he jumps to his feet and disappears inside the tent. Aalam is staring wide eyed at the backside of the tent.

"What happened?" Liam worries and knees down next to Aalam. The kid's breath is uneven and Liam thinks he can hear his heartbeat. Or maybe it's his own.

"There was a person," Aalam points to the side. "And suddenly there were wings." He whispers.

Liam furrows his eyebrow and takes a look over at Julian and Drew who seem to be in a deep sleep. He looks back to Aalam and pets his cheek. "As long as I'm here nothing will hurt you, I promise." Liam says.

Aalam nods, his breathing calming down. "But you weren't in your bed." Aalam points out, then.

"I know. But i'm here now."

Charlie pokes her head into the tent. "Everything alright?" She whispers. Liam nods and gets back to his feet, but Aalam doesn't let go of his hand. Liam quick looks down to Aalam and then back to Charlie.

"Yeah, good night." Liam says.

"Good night." Charlie says and bites her lips, disappointment written all over her face as she turns around and leaves.

"Good night to you, too." Liam says and smiles softly at the kid.

"Good night, Liam." Aalam says back and let's go of Liam's hand.

Liam walks over to his bed and lays down. He turns on his side to face the part where Aalam had pointed at, where he saw –whatever it was. Liam sees it too. A shadow of a figure, wings spread wide open. Liam feels watched, but not the bad kind of way. He closes his eyes and his mind plays a movie, where the shadow he saw, is no other than Zayn.

 ***

Liam blinked once, twice, three times until he saw clearly. He wasn't in the tent anymore. The bed underneath him felt unreal, the way he breathes felt like it was a habit and not something he needed to do to survive. He didn't feel the air filling his lungs, he didn't smell the red candle beside him on the wooden table that looked like people from a different century had used. And yet, it looked familiar, like he had been here before.

He heared voices coming, muffled by the closed door and the distance between them. Liam got off the bed, he caught his reflection in the wall mirror. He was wearing an old night gown, it was a dirty white. He heared the sound his bare feet left on the cold parkett beneath him. He opened the door and poked his head out, the voices were becoming clearer.

"If I see your son near my daughter one more time, then I'll have no other choice than to-" A deep male voice, said.

"Zaahir-" The soft voice of a woman filled his ears. A familiar voice. A feeling of longing started bubbling in the inside of his belly. Why did this voice sound so familiar in his ears?

 "No more, Liane. We made a deal, if you can't live by those rules, then I have no other choice!" The man said cold. Liam reached a big stairway leading down. He heared the creak of a door opening and the wind blowing outside.

"This is my last warning" The man, Zaahir, threatend. Liam ducked down and kneed behind the railing of the stair to stay hidden. Slowly he poked his head over the edge. His breath froze when he caught the man's eyes.

"Zayn?" Liam whispered into the air.  

 

***


	2. Chapter 2

#  Day Four

 

Liam feels something soft and light against the bottom of his feet, he hears giggling and a "Maybe he needs to be woken up by a princess _?_ ". It's a young boy's voice echoing in his hears, followed by a girly giggle that comes from somewhere on his left. The brunette man opens his eyes and is faced with five little guys looking at him with wide eyes.

Julian and Drew are standing at the end of the bed where his feet poke out, holding each a red feather in their hand. Aalam and Nobu are standing on his right and Charlie and Devin on his left.

"See, he is alright, just seemed to have a _really_ nice dream." She giggles. Liam raises his eyebrow at her. As she makes a gesture to her crotch, Liam's eyes widen, while he sits up and bends his body forward.

 "Your kids were quite worried when they couldn't wake you up by tickling your feet." Charlie smiles at him, amusement showing in her eyes. "Breakfast is in ten minutes." She adds with a hint of teasing. "Do you want me to take them to the dining tent? I'll keep a seat for you?" the girl continues, Liam nods absently.

What a weird dream.

"Alright, let Liam wake up by himself. Let's go." Charlie claps her hands and let's her arm swing towards the exit of the tent. The twins tickle Liam's feet with the feathers one last time before they are following Devin, Nobu and Charlie towards the light that is shining into the tent by the open sides.

Aalam hasn't moved though, still watching Liam with wide eyes. The young man locks eyes with the little boy and forces a weak smile. "I'll be there in a minute. Keep a seat for me, alright?"

Aalam bites his lip. "Ok." he gives a weak nod and hesitates before joining the others on the other side. The boy ignores Charlie's stretched out hand and reaches for Nobu's hand instead. Liam shakes his head with a fond smile as he watches the kids and Charlie walk away.

The young man  adjusts himself, before sitting up and letting the cold ground on the floor cool his hot feet; he feels the coolness going up his ankles, over his knees and thighs, relaxing his body from the inside.

Liam takes a quick cold shower and then joins Charlie and his boys at the table ten minutes later. He brushes gently through Aalam’s hair as he sits down next to the kid and gives Charlie a real smile as she bumps their knees under the table. Liam takes a deep breath, maybe that's what he needs, _Charlie_. He leans his knee against hers and reaches for a loaf of bread that is in a bowl in front of him.

Liam raises his eyebrow at the twins who are sitting in front of him. "Stop tickling each other with the feather in your faces, who knows where that bird had been?" Liam prompts.

The twins giggle in response, "But look, it's not dirty at all." Drew points out  and hands Liam the feather.

The older man reaches out to take it and takes a closer look at it. "Still, just keep it away from your faces." Liam instructs while handing it back.

The twins shrug but lay their feather down on their laps and continue their breakfast without another word.

The sound of a fork clinking against a glass filled the room. The tent goes quiet to look at Jen who is standing on the bench, smiling big towards the kids. "Alright Campers, today we are spending the day here and tonight, after dinner, we will have a night walk through the forest." She smiles. The kids start to cheer around Liam, a knowing smile spreads over his lips, he used to love the night walks through the forest.

"After lunch, there will be different play points outside for you to enjoy." She adds "Enjoy your day, Campers." she ends her speech and climbs off the bench.

"A night walk sounds fun, do you think some adults will be hidden behind trees, waiting to jump out on us?" Julian asks Liam excited.

The young man shrugs. "I don't know"

"Those are my favorite, especially when there is a scary story told about the way we walk." Charlie adds.

"Yes." The twins echo in unison, eyes sparkling with excitement.

☼

Liam had laid out an outside blanket underneath the same tree they were sitting at yesterday. He has his back resting against the trunk, Aalam's head is laying on his thigh and Nobu and Devin are laying on their stomach, listening curious to the story that Liam reads out loud from the book in his hands. Julian and Drew are listening too, they are laying on their backs next to him on the grass, eyes focused on the feathers in their hands.

"Where did you even find those?" Liam wonders, after he had finished reading the story of three pigs and the wolf.

"Behind the tent." Julian replies with a shrug.

"Yeah, we tried to look for a stick to poke you with, but then we found the feathers instead." Drew adds.

Liam sighs, "Poking me with a stick is not nice." he says with a joking frown on his lips. The other kids start laughing and Liam shakes smiling his head while tickling Aalam’s tummy. Immediately, the other kids start screaming with joy and within an eye blink the other four jump on top of their instructor, trying to help the youngest of them.

Liam lets Nobu and Devin push his upper body backwards on the ground, then the two boys sit down on his arms to prevent him of using them. The twins hold down Liam's legs while Aalam climbs on top of his chest and uses the feather from Drew to tickle him under his nose.

 _The smell_. The smell of the feather. Suddenly Liam's brain takes him back to the night a few days ago –The night he met Zayn. His mind takes him back into the entrance hall of the house; Liam is standing in front of a stairway that is leading to the next floor, a cold shower is making its way down his back, followed by the same smell of the feather, followed by the realization. It's the same house from his dream.

"Liam?" He hears a chorus of worried voices calling his name, he blinks a few times in a row.

"Are you alright?" Nobu asks from his left.

Liam realizes that his limbs are free again and raises his hands to rub his eyes with his palm a few times to get rid of the dryness. "Yeah, just-. _Water_. We should all get a glass of water." Liam bites his bottom lip and gets to his feet.  "On such a hot a day, we need to make sure we stay hydrated." Liam mumbles and automatically holds his hand out for Aalam to take it.

The six make their way to the dining tent.

"Can we play football?" Julian asks after he had finished drinking his cup of water.

"Sure, are the others up for it, too?" Liam questions the others, who give an agreeing nod in response. Then all five kids take off with a loud cheer and disappear out of the dining tent. Liam has no other choice than to follow.

"Alright, Julian, Nobu and Devin in one team and I'll take Drew and Aalam." Liam instructs while having his foot on top of the ball.

The twins pout. "No, come on, Liam." Julian frowns. Liam opens his mouth to say something, but a voice interrupts him.

"How about we play group against group?" It's Charlie, her girls are standing behind her. Liam locks eyes with her as a smile spreads over his lips. It's a real one.

He chuckles, "Alright." He accepts the challenge. "What does the winner get?" Liam questions then, with a hint of teasing in his words while she is taking a step closer to Liam.

Se shrugs. "I guess the winner can decide that spontaneously."

Liam narrows his eyes at her "Deal." he bumps fists with her to seal the deal.

Liam turns around to his boys. "You think we can win this?" he asks and the boys cheer their agreement. The kids start to spread around on the grass while Charlie and Liam mark their goal with sticks and then they start playing.

Fifteen minutes later, the scores say 3 - 7 for Charlie and the girls.

"You have no chance!" Charlie laughs while battling with Liam for the ball.

"It's not over yet. We can still win this." Liam laughs breathless.

"Nope." Charlie snorts and kicks the ball away from him while jogging after it faster than Liam can look. Liam has other tactics up his sleeve though, he reaches out and pulls Charlie back by her T-shirt.

"Foul!" is being yelled at him from every side around him. He laughs in response as he loses his balances and takes Charlie down with him. The girl lands on top of him with a scream, that turns into laughter within a second.

"That is a red card for you." She smiles down at him.

"Doesn't seem like you have one here, though." He teases.

She narrows her eyes at him with a grin on her lips. "I guess, we have won, then." She sticks her tongue out.

They hear someone clear their throat from above them. It's Jen. "Please, there are children around." she says amused.

 Liam blushes and sees red covering Charlie's cheeks as well.

"Sorry" The two say as they are getting back to their feet.

"Lunch is in fifteen minutes" Jen smiles at them and continues her walk over the grounds.

" _Thank you_ Liam, because of _you_ we lost." Devin crosses his arms in front of his chest. Liam takes a look at the other guys who look at him the same way; even Aalam.

Liam chuckles, "Sorry guys. We can always ask for a revenge."

"Yeah, _we_ will. But then you are not allowed to play." Nobu furrows his eyebrow at him disappointed.

"It's only fair" Liam holds his hands up in defeat.

Charlie starts laughing next to him. "I love your boys" she grins.

Liam glares at her and then his feet are chasing Charlie to the dining tent with a hoard of screaming kids between the age of six and fourteen following right after.

☼

"Look at me, Liam!" Aalam beams at him while holding the bowed arrow to his shoulder. The arrow is pointed towards Liam while the little kid has the string pulled back.

"You look great, but please don't point it towards people." Liam smiles at him and points to the target behind Aalam. Aalam turns around to face the target with a red, blue and black circles. The little boy lets go of the string and  shoots the arrow into the field, it doesn't fly far though, the arrows falls to the ground only a few meters in front of Aalam's feet.

"Aw." Aalam pouts and looks down to the ground.

"Don't be sad, keep trying." Liam encourages the little one with a smile.

He spotts Drew and Julian pointing the arrows towards the sky, string pulled back. "Guys!" He warns, as he watches a red bird fly high in the sky over them. "Point the arrow into the sky one more time, and I will put you two in time out again." he warns the twins. The two boys give a disapproving sigh but lower their bows to the ground.

The kids are getting tired of the bow and arrow quickly and continue to the potato-bag jump station. The station is placed near the forest. "I wanna go first!" Nobu jumps excited over to one of the bags that is laying on the ground. Liam laughs

"Alright. Who wants to jump against him?" Liam asks the other four boys.

"Me!" Aalam says while picking up the other bag. Liam smiles fondly at the youngest and helps him getting into the brown bag.

"Ready. Set. GO!" Julian yells after Liam gave him a nod. The boys start screaming and encouraging the two kids who jump for their lives. Liam laughs loudly as he watches the two kids. Nobu wins but waits for Aalam to finish to help him out of the bag. The two boys come running back laughing with the bag over their shoulders.

"Did you see, Liam? I was pretty close behind him!" Aalam smiles at him.

"I did. Next time you'll win!"

Julian and Devin are next. The two fall over more often than necessary, but they keep laughing, so Liam just laughs along with them. When the both come running back, Devin gives Liam the bag.

"Now you." He says.

Liam giggles. "Alright." He says and locks eyes with Drew who is already waiting.

"Destroy him, Drew!" Julian cheers for his brother.

"We will see that." Liam challenges and gets ready too.

"You can do this, Liam!" Aalam cheers for Liam.

"GOOOOOOOOOOO" Julian yells and the two start jumping.

 After the third skip Liam is already on the ground, laughing.

"Get back up Li!" Devin calls.

"Go Liam!" Nobu joins in.

Liam laughs and gets back up, he sees that Drew had fallen too and is close behind him again. Liam pokes his tongue out at Drew when he passes him. The young man can hear Julian booing at him, which makes Liam laugh even harder. He loses his balances again, and is back on the ground. When he looks up, he sees Drew jumping through the finish line, dancing in victory.

"Nooooo!" Liam says dramatic while the others run laughing towards him.

"You are old Liam, that's why I won." Drew pokes his tongue out.

Liam looks up from the ground and heaves himself up to his feet; he catches a person leaning against a tree not too far away. The person standing there is watching him with no expression on their face, with no intent to look away either, not even when their eyes meet. It's Zayn.

Liam blinks and turns back around to his group. "So, where to next?" He questions.

"Maybe to the egg run, Charlie is over there, too." Drew suggests excited and points over to the next station.

Liam looks over and catches Charlie looking at him, she waves as their eyes meet and smiles. Liam waves back.

"Alright, then let's go over there." Liam agrees.

The four oldest in his group start running over to her. Aalam stays with him. Liam turns around one more time to the forest, he sees Zayn still standing there, though not leaning against the tree anymore. Liam's brain compares Zayn to a tiger getting ready to kill his lunch. He quickly lays his arm over Aalam's shoulder and follows the others.

"So, how about we both make another bet?" Charlie greets Liam with a smile as soon as he reaches her. Suddenly, Liam feels a burning hot breath hitting his neck; He can feel  Zayn standing behind him, the smell of the feather is reaching his nose, tickling his nose hair on the way up before the sweet air is filling his lungs.

"Liam, are you alright?" Charlie looks worried to him, unaware of the person behind him.

Liam is too worried to reach behind him, too scared to find out whether he could touch him or if he would only reach into nothing, looking like a fool.

"Answer her." Zayn says slowly next to his ear, the hot breath warming his body from the shell of his ear. As fast as the presence was behind him, it was gone, too.

"I'm fine. I I-just have to use the bathroom real quick." He stutters and rushes off towards the bathroom facility. He turns the water on and cups his hands to catch the cold water before drowning his face into it. Liam takes a deep breath in and rests his elbows on the sink. When he is looking up into the mirror, his heart stops in his chest. He turns around, heart beat suddenly hammering violently in his chest as he locks eyes with the raven haired guy.

"Calm down. You look like you have just seen a ghost." Zayn laughs, he is leaning with his back against the toilet stall right in front of Liam. The bathroom isn't big, only two steps are between them.

"You need to stop appearing out of nowhere." Liam whispers, eyes sparkling with anger before he lets his eyes jump towards the closed door.  

Zayn blinks, "Don't worry, no one will see me." he smiles and takes a step closer to Liam. Now there is only one step separating them. Liam feels a foulness in his stomach.

"So I am going crazy, now?" Liam clarifies.

"Nope." Zayn grins at him.

"You need to go. Leave me alone!" Liam sighs and turns back around, refilling his cupped hands with water before drowning his face into his palms again.

"Are you interested in _her_?" Zayn's voice echos through the empty bathroom.

"Whom?" Liam asks confused and turns back around.

 " _Charlie._ "

Liam shrugs, "She is funny. And beautiful."

Zayn narrows his eyes, the black of his pupils are swallowing the brown. The raven haired man takes the last step towards Liam, cornering him between the sink and his body.

Liam takes a deep breath and tilts his head to the side, exposing the side of his neck. Zayn gives him a confused look. "Just do it. _Kill_ _me_. _Bite me_. Whatever you do to kill your victims, but do it quick."

Zayn bites his bottom lip, "How do you want it. A vampire bite, right _here_?" He asks and lets his finger softly circle over a spot on his neck. "Or do you want me to strangle you, while you look into my eyes so I can watch your soul leaving your body?" he suggests and cups both hands around Liam's throat without breaking eye contact. "Or do you want me to just break your neck before I _suck_ you _dry_?" Liam swallows.

Maybe he shouldn't have suggested this – _thing_ , to kill him right here.

"What hurts less?" Liam hears himself ask in a whisper.

Zayn pushes his lips forward while pretending to think hard about it. " _Mhm_ " He hums and goes through his options one more time. First, he focuses  his eyes on the spot on Liam's neck before rubbing with his thumb over it like before. Then he cupps Liam's neck in both of his hands while holding eye contact. Liam's heart starts beating faster in his chest. This is it. This is how his life will end. He is only nineteen years old, and this is how he will die. Looking his killer into his eyes while he is being strangled, after he had told his killer to kill him.

Maybe Liam is stupider than he had thought.

But Zayn let's go of Liam's throat. "The broken neck would be definitely the least hurtful. You won't feel a thing." Zayn says then. Liam opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. "But that's not fun to me, you know. The blood tastes better while it's still floating fresh through your veins. Every second counts." The raven haired guy adds then and tilts Liam's head to the side.

Liam's heart beat gets faster again.

" _Shhhhh_ " Zayn whispers softly while laying his hands on the sink on top of Liam's. "You'll get into a rush, when I start sucking, you won't be in pain." He says gentle and starts to lean in.

The gentleness and calmness of Zayn's voice is giving Liam goosebumps and he feels his hair stand when Zayn's breath tickles the side of his throat. _That's it_. He presses his eyes closed and waits for the _pain_ , for the _bite_ , for _anything_. "You need to calm down, or your blood will spray everywhere. You don't want to be remembered laying in a bloodbath, do you?" Zayn says with humor in his voice.

"I am sorry for being _fucking_ nervous in my last couple seconds of being _alive_ " Liam gifts.

Zayn laughs. "We could already be long done, you know?" Zayn teases and uses his left hand to lay it on Liam's neck, trying to calm him down by gentle rubbing the skin there with his thumb. Weirdly, Liam does calm down and-

The hot breath hits his throat again and then soft and plump lips are being pressed to his soft skin right above his pulse point. Then, Zayn's laughter rings in his ears before he pulls away and takes a step back, still laughing.

Liam looks at him with a frown. "Why are you laughing?"

"You really thought I was going to kill you, like in a fucking movie?"

Liam glares at him. "Is this not what you do?"

"Killing my victims by drinking their blood like a vampire?" he says amused and wipes some tears away that had come out of his eyes due to his laughter.

"Is that not what you and your friends are?" Liam asks.

Zayn shakes laughing his head. "No. Don't be ridiculous. Vampires only exist in movies."

"Then what _are_ you?" Liam demands but he doesn't get an answer. He blinks one time and then the door is open and Zayn is gone.

Liam leaves the bathroom too, he wants to get as fast away from this place as possible. He sees Aalam running towards him with a smile.

"Hey, did you already have your turn?" he asks.

 "Yes, and I won against Drew!" Aalam beams.

"That's amazing!" Liam cheers and high fives the little guy. The happy chatter and cheering from his kids bring him back down to earth. And whenever he catches Charlie's eyes he forgets all about what just had happened in the bathroom.

He accepts the spoon with a smile from  Charlie's hold and lays the egg on top. Nobu is giving the countdown and then they are off. Liam's kids are cheering him on and this time, he doesn't let the guy at the finish line distract him. If Liam pretends like Zayn isn't there, then maybe he will leave him alone.

Liam wins and grins at Charlie as she crosses the finish line too. "We are even." He grins at her.

"Shut up, I let you win."

"Really?" Liam teases her.

"Yeah. So we both owe the other something." She whispers. Liam bites his bottom lip as the girl is walking away, he ignores the heavy stare on him when he starts to follow Charlie back to the others.

☼

They hear owls and crickets and the only light they have is the moon shining from above and a few flashlights in front of them. They are on the night walk through the forest.

"They are telling a scary story in the front Liam, can we join them?" Julian asks.

"Please, Liam." Drew adds with a pleading voice and a double blink with his eyes.

"We were behaving all day" the two echo through the night.

Liam wants to say no, but the hand Charlie just had on the fabric of his shirt is now underneath it, touching his bare hot skin.

"Alright, you can go." He gives in and the two boys start cheering and take off to get to the front of the line.

"Oh shit. I lost my bracelet." Charlie suddenly says with a frown while  dropping her hand from Liam's back. The young man raises his eyebrow at her while she looks at the ground. "I'll go back and look for it if I dropped it on the way, it can't be too far." She says.

"You are not going on your own." Liam states.

"I'll be fine, Liam." she blinks up at him.

"Still, four eyes see better than two." He adds.

"Don't go, Liam!" Aalam looks up at him, big brown eyes lock with his.

"I'll be back. It won't be too long." he promises.  

Devin and Nobu each take a hand of Aalam's.

"But be quick, promise?" Aalam asks worried.

"Promise" Liam smiles and waits until all of the boys have turned their backs and are a few steps ahead of them.

"You didn't lose your bracelet." Liam says then.

"I didn't." She bites her lip.

"Good." Liam reaches for her hand and pulls her along through some bushes and behind some trees; but no too far away from the way. They find an old picnic table and Charlie sits down on top of it while Liam stands between her legs. The girl giggles as she lays her arms around Liam's neck to pull him closer. Liam slings his arms around her middle and closes the gap between them.

They don't notice the dark figure in one of the tree's shadow watching them, with a fire burning in their eyes.

After a while Liam pulls away. "We should go back, we have been gone for far too long." he says, nose still touching hers. Charlie licks over her lips and nods in agreement while freeing Liam from her hold. The man steps to the side and holds  the girl's hand as she jumps off the table.

They make their way back to the line, hand in hand. "The walk is almost over, you missed most of the walk." Aalam frowns at Liam when he is walking next to him again.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes.

" _So_ , leaving your little angels to have a make out session in the forest, you are a bad babysitter." Liam doesn't have to look to his left to know that it's Zayn. "Next time please make sure that you are alone, I was in the middle of moon bathing."

Liam wants to ask him who the fuck does 'moon bathing' but he doesn't. No one seems to notice the raven haired man who is walking next to him, so he figures it's for the better if he pretends to not see him, too.

"After you and your _Missus_ literally forced me to leave, I decided to look after Aalam. He is such a sweetheart. He reminds me of myself when I was younger." At that Liam turned his head and gave him a warning look. "I was just having an eye on him. Don't look at me like I’m a pervert. It's not me having a kink to dry hump in a forest." Liam takes a deep breath and reaches for his phone to type out a message, before turning his phone for Zayn to read.

_Shut up._

" _Nah-uh-uh_ , Liam. Language."

_Fuck off._

"Why? I love talking to you, we had so much fun the other night, you should pay us another visit."  

_No, I'd love to live a while longer._

"Hey, _you_ were the one asking me to kill you."

 _You are the one who keeps appearing out of nowhere_.

Zayn giggles. "Don't put this on me." Liam swings his hip to his left, bumbing  his against Zayn's.

 _So, I see you. But the others don't?_ Liam types then.

"Yes. I am only seen when and to whom I want to be seen." Zayn answers fondly.

Liam sighs.

 _Why me? Choose someone else_.

"Nah." Zayn grins at him. "I like you."

Liam raises his eyebrow at him.

They are leaving the forest and are back on the camp grounds. "So, I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Charlie asks from his right.

Liam turns his head. "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." Liam smiles. He feels Zayn's presence next to him, can feel his heat.

"Good night" Charlie says then and pecks his lips before following her girls to their tent.

"I don't like her." Zayn groans.

"But I do." Liam replies.

"What?" Julian looks confused at him.

Liam blushes and sees his boys looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. Zayn snorts next to him. "Good night" the man says with a few octaves higher voice and makes a kissing sound with his lips before disappearing in the dark. Liam sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and leads his boys to their tent.

That night, the same figure is standing behind the tent wall again. It doesn't show up before Aalam falls asleep, though. Liam watches it, watches the shadow of the wings swaying in the wind. Watches the way the figure's chest is expanding with every breath.

 _Sleep_.

He suddenly hears echoing in his head. Liam tries to fight it, but the tiredness is taking over his body and his eyes fall shut.

**  
**

#  Day Five

 

The next morning was uneventful. After breakfast the twins went off to play with some of Charlie's girls. Devin and Nobu played cards under a tree and Aalam wanted to draw some in the tent. Liam sits outside with Devin and Nobu while having a close look to the tent, just in case Aalam needs something.

A shadow falls over him. "Hey" he smiles, while blinking into the sun that hits him from the right.

"Hello, may I take you away for a few minutes?" Charlie asks.

Liam sighs. "Maybe later, the twins are running around somewhere, these two want to play here and Aalam is in the tent." he explains.

"Aw, come on. It won't be for long." Charlie pushes and crouches down next to Liam to be on the same level as the two boys. "Would you two mind if I take Liam with me for a bit?" She asks sweetly.

"Nope." Devin shakes his head with a smile.

"We are right here if Aalam needs something, and then we'll get you." Nobu adds.

"See?" Charlie blinks at Liam with a smile. Liam bites his lips. "Alright."

Charlie giggles and pulls Liam up to his feet before dragging him behind herself behind the storage building.

"What-" is all Liam can bring over his lips, before he is being cornered between the brick wall and Charlie. Her hands are resting next to his head as she presses her lips against his. "You think here is the right place?" He asks against her lips. The only answer Liam receives are her lips on top of his.

☼

When Liam gets back to the tree fifteen minutes later, he sees Nobu and Devin laying on the grass watching the clouds. "So, what do you guys see?" He asks curious and lays down next to them, crossing his arms behind his head.

"I see a dinosaur." Devin says excited.

"That is a snake with four legs." Nobu argues.

Liam laughs. "It can be both." he says, trying to prevent an argument.

"What do you see, Li?" Nobu asks.

Liam narrows his eyes. "An angel, with its wings spread out." He says.

"Oh, I see it, too!" Devin exclaims.

"I wanna see it, too." Nobu pouts.

"It's right next to the dinosaur." Devin says and points to the sky.

"Snake with four legs." Nobu argues again.

Liam chuckles to himself and gets back to his feet, deciding to check on Aalam.

Which was a really good idea, or not. Liam isn't sure. His heart sinks towards his feet at the picture he sees in front of him. He is looking for words, he is waiting for something to come over his lips but nothing comes out. He can't even swallow.

It's Aalam who notices, or _acknowledges_ , him first. He is laying on his tummy and another person is laying next to him.

"Li. Look, Zayn helped me draw this." He says excited and waves a piece of paper in the air. _Zayn_ , who is getting himself into a sitting position, smiles fondly down at Aalam. He hasn't looked up once yet, since Liam had gotten into the tent.

"You did this all on your own."

"But you helped me with this line here, and this one." Aalam argues and points at the smoother lines on the paper.

Liam thinks about calling the cops for a second.

"Liam, come over and look at the angel I drew, remember the figure from the other night? Zayn told me, he has been living here his _entire_ life and only knows good angels around here." The little guy beams.

Liam still hasn't found his voice yet. He walks over to the two boys and takes a look at the picture. "That's really good." is what comes out of his mouth. Aalam smiles. "Why won't you go to Nobu and Devin, they are watching the clouds." Liam suggests, voice too calm for how his blood boils.

"Awesome. See you later, Zayn!" Aalam says and runs out of the tent.

Liam takes a deep breath and glares at Zayn. The other guy gets to his feet and holds his hands up in surrender.

"You just can't appear here and sneak into a tent while the youngest boy in this camp is drawing!" Liam yell-whispers.

"Technically, I didn't sneak in, I walked into it through the entrance." Zayn says smug with a grin on his lips.

"I don't care how you got in here. What are you even _doing_ here?" He asks quiet and side eyes the entrance just in case.

Zayn rolls his eyes. "If you would have sat at the tree, you would have seen me getting inside, but you were too busy getting off with that chick." Zayn says. His face changes from smug into something else –something cold.

"That doesn't give you the right to be _here._ " Liam argues.

"I was just watching over Aalam, since you were too busy for it." Zayn shrugs.

" _Zayn_ " Liam warns.  

There is a pause for a few short moments, then a grin places itself on Zayn's lips as he takes a step closer to Liam. "I actually came here to see _you_ " he says.

"What do you want from _me_?" Liam asks, voice low. His jaw shakes a bit as he waits for Zayn to do something. The other guy steps around Liam and disappears out of his sight. Liam can't move, _again_. He catches his breath as he feels Zayn's hot breath hitting his neck. He blinks and looks to where Zayn just had been in front of him.

"Do you know how attractive your smell is? It's still lingering everywhere in the forest." Zayn whispers.

Liam doesn't respond. He tries to focus on his breathing, tries to let the thick air around them fill his lungs, but it only suffocates him.

" _Shhh_ " Zayn huffs into his ear and presses his face into the side of Liam's neck while he slings his arm around the frozen guy's waist.

"Liam?" he hears Charlie call into the tent. "They offer ice cream in the dining tent and your boys are getting impatient." she giggles.

Liam hears Zayn groan into his ear. He is standing with his back towards her. For a moment, Liam wonders why she isn't mentioning the other guy holding him from behind. Liam is sure the position they are in, doesn't look friendly.

"Tell her to go." Zayn says and turns both of them around to face the entrance.

"I'm coming." Liam says then, the weight of Zayn is  becoming lighter.

"Hurry up" She urges and steps out of his sight.

 _I am only seen, when and to whom I want to be seen_. Liam remembers the words from Zayn.

Liam steps out of Zayn's grip and turns around. His words are being swallowed by his own tongue. Zayn is already gone. Liam shakes his head and steps out of the tent. The sun is blinding him when he steps outside, he soon feels a too familiar small hand in his "Zayn told me, I'm not allowed to mention him to anyone but you, he is really nice." Aalam whispers.

"Mhm." Liam hums "Let's get some ice cream, what do you think?" he changes the subject.

Liam's and Charlie's groups find a place outside to eat their ice creams. "Do you think angels exist?" Aalam asks and looks at Liam. The man smiles at the boy's chocolate mouth, even though he only had three spoons yet.

"I don't know, do you?" Liam asks back.

Aalam nods. "Yeah, like, you know who, said." Liam snorts.

"Well, if _they_ say so." Liam bites his lip and takes a spoonful of his own.

Charlie raises her eyebrow questioning him. Liam shrugs and smiles and gives her a little-kids-imagination look. She nods in response.

"I think he is one." Aalam says then and continues his ice cream like he just didn't say anything.

☼

Liam tucks the boys into bed that night and waits for them to fall asleep. A few minutes later, he hears as noise from outside. He rolls his eyes with a smile and leaves the tent. "You have no patience." he teases.

Charlie giggles while she slings her arms around his neck. "I make sure the kids have fun during the day, then _I_ want to have fun during the night." she says and bumps their noses.

Liam snorts. "What was that earlier today? Wasn't that fun?" He raises his eyebrow teasing.

"It was, but-" Liam isn't hearing the rest, his attention is taken by the figure that is standing behind Charlie a bit further in the forest.

He holds eye contact with Zayn for a moment before he disappears. "I'd love to have more time, but I better get back to my boys before they'll notice I'm not there." he whispers then,  and presses a light kiss to Charlie's cheek while freeing himself from her hold.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then" She sighs disappointed, but gives him a half smile nonetheless.

 "See you tomorrow." He replies and turns his back to her to enter the tent.

He takes quiet steps towards his bed and sits down. Liam reaches for his backpack and opens the side zipper where he put his phone and his wallet. He finds his wallet, but not his phone.  " _Fuck!_ " He curses quietly into the darkness and opens the other zippers. He can't find it. He sets his backpack down between his legs and thinks.

Who could have _possibly_ taken his phone.

Then, he jumps to his feet and rushes out of the tent, into the forest, steps over the wooden fence and knocks –hammers at the door. "Zayn!" He yells and hits with his fist against the door. "Open that _fucking_ door!"

Suddenly, the door creaks open, it opens all the way, even though Liam is sure there is no way he could have had so much strength for that. He swallows as he looks into the pitch black entrance hall in front of him. He swallows again, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat that suddenly appeared. "Zayn?" He calls into the hallway with caution.

Liam takes a step inside. It's cold, just like the first time he was here. A soft, familiar smell hits his nose and he follows it, it guides him towards  the stairway to his right that is leading upstairs. The door falls shut behind him, the moon shines through the window above the door, giving him enough light to see the stairs. He takes the steps each at a time, the creaking of the steps is filling the silence.

Halfway up the stairs, he can hear voices, just quiet murmuring, he doesn't understand words yet. He follows the voices and catches light shimmering out of one of the rooms. He stops in front of the closed door and before he can even raise his hand to knock, the door opens – slowly, while the old wood scratches against the floor beneath his feed. He takes a shaking breath in.

Liam takes a step into the room, no one is inside though. The only light in the room is coming from outside;  the soft glow of a full moon that is staring into the room through the window, gives a little light into the room. He looks for a candle or anything else that could have caused the light shimmering but he finds nothing. His eyes land on himself in the mirror, somehow this feels so familiar, standing here, being here in this room. He looks at the furniture he sees behind him in his reflection; A bed, it looks uncomfortable, like no one has slept or sat on it in _years_ or even _centuries_. He sees a bookshelf and a little table next to the bed with a picture on it.

He knows not to sneak around in strange rooms, his mom had taught him better, but he was curious. He turns around and takes a few steps closer to the nightstand and crouches down in front of it. He looks at the carvings in the wood of the bedside table and lets his fingers follow the lines. Small angles, Liam figures. Small angels surrounding a big one. Liam watches the big one for several moments, then he reaches out to touch its wings.

At the touch, the weirdest thing happens, that Liam has ever seen in his life. The wings start moving. He catches his breath and loses his balance before he falls backwards on his bum, his heart rate starts to pick up as he jumps to his feet and runs out of the room, and straight into Zayn's arms.

" _Woha_ , careful th- Liam?" It's the first time Liam is glad to see Zayn, but that only lasted for two seconds before he sees feathers; red feather, swinging in the air from the collision behind Zayn's body. Liam's eyes widen and his throat is closing up. He stumbles backwards towards the stairs.

Maybe he is dreaming. He is definitely dreaming. He knows Zayn is weird and there is something _not right_ with him, but that, _that_ , is just too weird. Even for him. He can't take his eyes away from the guy with the wings who is taking a step forward, every time he is taking a step backwards.

"Liam. Stop walking." Zayn says, worry in his voice, eyebrow furrowed. Liam shakes his head and lets a shaky laugh out. That's all his brain seems to be able to do, that, and to tell his feet to take steps backwards to get out of here as fast as possible.

Zayn stops walking. "Liam." Zayn pleads, holding his arms up in surrender. Zayn keeps trying to make eye contact with Liam, but fails. Liam sees Zayn's eye twitching, is that how _this_ _kind_ is getting ready to eat? He doesn't know, and he is definitely not here to find out.

The next thing he knows, is that he is falling, he hears Zayn call his name and then an " _Ugghhfffff!_ " from underneath him as white feathers fly down on him.

He is too scared to move, too scared to breathe, too scared to blink. Suddenly, Zayn is hovering over him, helping him to his feet. "Are you alright?" he questions.

"Yes, I am Zayn, thank you for asking!" It's not Liam saying it, though; Liam isn't even sure he knows how to talk yet. It was Niall saying it, with an undertone of sarcasm.

"Get Harry, Niall. He should make him a drink." Zayn says. Niall mumbles something under his breath and then Liam can hear his footsteps disappearing somewhere in the house.

The next thing Liam realizes, is that he has a lukewarm liquid going down his throat, he feels how the liquid relaxes his body. The man blinks a few times and takes a deep breath in. He is sitting on the couch.

Zayn is standing to his right, supporting his body with his arms on the backrest. The wings are still there. Liam takes a look around him and sees Louis, Niall and Harry in front of him, watching him curious.

He swallows, in front of him are standing four figures with _wings_. He can hear Niall, Harry and Louis saying something, but the information doesn't get to his brain, yet. He looks back at Zayn.

Liam tries to process the information he has so far. There was a wooden craving that _moved_ , Zayn and his friends have _wing._ , Zayn has _red_ feathers and the other three have _white_. The first thing he actually hears _and understands_ , is when Zayn is laying his hands on Liam's shoulders, while crouching in front of him to get his attention. "Breathe." he says calm. And Liam does.

"I-I better go- I." Liam stumbles over his own words and tries to get up, but Zayn gives his shoulders a push so he falls backwards onto the couch again. Liam swallows.

"Just finish this drink and then I'll bring you back." Zayn says and sits down next to Liam, while handing the cup over. The brunette looks up and locks eyes with the other three.

"Drink it, you'll feel better." Harry smiles at him and locks eyes with Louis. "What about the wings massage? Still up for it?" He asks, then.

"Yep. I'm sure Zayn can handle this from here. Nice seeing you again, Liam." Louis calls over his shoulder and leaves the room with Harry.

"And don't forget to drink it." Harry says and disappears with the other man. Liam takes a look into the cup in his hand and takes another sip.

"I saved your life, by the way." Niall says and crosses his arms in front of his chest. "I lost a few feathers because of you." He adds and furrows his eyebrow, but Liam can tell that he isn't mad.

"That's kind of your job, you know." Zayn chimes in. "As a direct descendant, of an protector." Zayn adds.

Niall huffs."Still, a thank you wouldn't be too much to ask for." he pouts.

"Thank you." Liam says then, causing the blond one to smile. "Always by your side if you need help, Mr. Liam." Niall salutes and leaves the room as well.

"What are you doing here, anyways?" Zayn asks curious.

"My phone." Liam answers.

Zayn raises confused his eyebrow. "Why do you think your phone is here?"

"Because you stole it." Liam states, his eyes are jumping back and forth from Zayn's eyes to his wings.

"Why do you think I have it?" Zayn asks, trying to read Liam's mind by staring into his eyes.

"You were in the tent. You have been stalking me for a few days now." Liam starts counting off.

 Zayn snickers. "And that's why you think I steal?"

Liam takes a long breath and drinks the rest of the drink without thinking about it. "I don't know. You are just-" Liam stops himself.

" _I am_ what?" Zayn asks challenging with a smile.

Liam bites his lip and stands up. " _Weird_ " He says and walks towards the door to get into the hallway.

" _Weird_?" Liam hears Zayn whispering behind him, but still loud enough for him to hear. Liam pretends like he didn't hear it, though, and continues his way down the hall towards the exit. He opens the door but freezes.

He isn't scared of the dark, or a forest. But it does look unwelcoming and something inside of him tells him to not step over the threshold alone. He turns around and only gets a small heart attack when he sees Zayn standing behind him, with a grin on his lips. "Scared?" he teases.

Liam huffs, and steps outside. "Not like I would  have let you go back on your own, anyways." Zayn says and follows the other boy. Liam yawns and rubs his eyes. They walk back in silence, Zayn's feathers waving in the soft wind behind them. His left wing is building a shield behind Liam, not that he needs any protection, from what even.

"So, you are back, safe and sound." Zayn says, he doesn't expect Liam to say anything.

"Thanks." Liam mumbles as he enters the tent. He climbs into his bed and somewhat relieved when he sees the shadow of a figure, with two wings behind the thin tent wall. Liam takes another look into the bag and – and finds his phone. When he unlocks it, it's _9:39pm_. He falls asleep not a minute later.

**  
**

#  Day Six

 

Liam wakes up before his alarm clock. He reaches for his phone to check the time, _6:37am_. He sighs and shoves his phone back into his bag before sitting up and getting his shoes on. Quietly, he gets up and makes his way towards the exit. He zipps it up and steps outside. The sun is already shining, warming the grounds around him. He takes a few steps to the side and stretches himself towards the sun. His back cracks a bit as he softly moans. The fresh smell of grass and morning is relaxing him from the inside.

"If I would have known that I'll get this show in the morning, I would have come by more often." It's Zayn. Surprising? Not really.

" _Oh_ , so today you are _without_ the wings, huh?" Liam raises his eyebrow at him before  turning around to face him with his back, making sure he is alone. He is.

Zayn steps next to him and snickers. "Yeah, you aren't running around with your dick out all day either, are you?"

Liam snorts and sits down, he waits for Zayn to sit down next to him before he continues. "So, what-where-" Liam starts but doesn't know how to ask or – well actually he knows exactly what he wants to ask. There is a lot swimming in his head.

Zayn sighs while leaning backwards, keeping himself up on his elbows. Liam turns his body to look at him. "There are things I can't tell you, Liam." Zayn explains while biting his lip, keeping eye contact.

"Maybe you are right. Better I don't know anything, better you just disappear back into the forest where you came from and leave me alone!" Liam says hostile and gets back to his feet. "I have to wake up the boys." He adds and avoids eye contact while doing so.

He has halfway turned around when a grip on his wrist stops him from leaving. "Liam-"

" _No_ , just. Go. _Go_. Before anyone sees me talking to myself and signs me up for the hospital." Liam says frustrated.

"You are not crazy." Zayn reassures.

Liam raises one of his hands into his hair. "I have little kids to take care of." he sighs. "I don't have time for this, no matter what this is, or what _you are._ " He lets his eyes drop to his wrist where Zayn is still holding him, his skin starts to tickle where they touch. "So, Goodbye, then." Liam bites his lip and walks into the tent, leaving Zayn behind.

Liam rubs his wrist where his skin starts burning and itching. "What the fuck is he even." he mumbles to himself. It's still way too early to wake up the boys, it's only a few minutes after seven. Breakfast won't be before nine. He waits a few minutes before poking his head out of the tent, checking if Zayn is still here. He isn't.

Instead, "Liam." Charlie call-whispers him and waves at him once he looks over to her. He smiles and steps out.

"Good Morning." Liam greets her, while still trying to sooth the itching on his skin. It only gets worse the more he itches but he can't stop it. Charlie notices it too.

"How did this happen? Did you take a sleepwalk through the forest?" She asks worried and gets a hold of Liam's arm.

"Yeah, I sometimes sleepwalk, usually I end up in the livingroom." Liam lies.

"Come on, maybe I can find something in my first aid bag." She says and pulls Liam along to her tent to get the bag before they sit down underneath a tree where they have a good sight to the tent where Liam's boys are still dreaming.

"Hold still, this is going to burn." Charlie warns, before she adds a good portion of the cream onto Liam's red skin.

" _Fu_ -" Liam starts cursing but Charlie holds giggling her hand infront of his mouth.

Charlie counts to three and the itch is gone. Liam furrows his eyebrow for a moment, but then smiles at her "Thank you."

"You are welcome. And _if_ you decide to sleep walk again tonight, come to my tent." She teases. Liam shakes laughing his head at that.

☼

Zayn is floating a centimeter over the ground of the woods, his feet are aching and tired of standing all night behind the tent. He can't say why or what keeps drawing him to the other guy.  He can't put it into words. The others keep teasing him that he has another _crush_ on another _human_. Which, it is _not_. Zayn just gets this feeling to make sure that Liam is ok.

He floats over the wooden fence, up the stoned stairs and lets himself down in front of the door. Zayn opens the door and feels his blood starting to boil when he enters the house. He sees Niall pressed five feet up against the wall. Niall's white feathers are dancing in the air on their way down as he struggles to get out of an invisible grip around his throat.  

"Let him down, Lanzo!" Zayn groans into the house and waits for his _stupid_ cousin to show himself.

 

Niall starts to relax once he notices Zayn is here.

"I don't see why, _cousin_. He would make a great wall filler, what do you think?" A boy, with red wings, raven hair that looks like Zayn's, but he has a red dyed bang instead of a blond one, comes out of the living room. He stops in the hallway with a grin.

Zayn glares at him.

"No." Lanzo grins.

Zayn clenches his fists and shoots over to the guy and crashes them into the wall. "I told you _not_ to do this again!" Zayn threatens, his wings appear behind his back while he pushes his thumbs into his cousin's throat.

A few moments later, Zayn can hear Niall taking a deep breath in, before he hears feet softly landing on the tiles. Zayn gets off of his cousin and goes over to Niall, laying his arm around him. "Are you alright?" he asks.

"Yeah" Niall gives a weak nod and rubs his throat.

"My favorite nephew!" A man, with identical red wings like the two youngsters, enters the hallway.

"Uncle Lazarus." Zayn answers distantly.

"Long time no see, how are you?" He smiles, it's played, Zayn knows that.

"Great, but then you showed up." He gifts and walks past them into the living room. Niall follows Zayn while holding on to his friends T-shirt.

"A bird has whispered to me, that you have laid eyes on a human, again." Zayn's uncle teases.

"I don't." Zayn rolls his eyes.

Lazarus chuckles. "Come on, we can talk about these things, you are like my son, Zayn. I raised you."

Zayn huffs a dry laugh. " _You_ killed my Dad."

"It was for his own good." Zayn's uncle defends himself.

"You _know_ , if I wouldn't have killed him, he would have killed you." Lazarus adds.

The air Zayn breathes out through his nose feels like fire, he crosses his arms in front of his chest. " _We_ could have helped him. But _you_ killed him instead." Zayn says loathing.

"We all _tried_ to help him, Zayn. I promised your mom to protect you, and I did."

"Leave mom out of this!" Zayn yells, the yell is echoing through the house.

"One day you'll understand, what I did, Zayn. And then you'll thank me." Lazarus says calm.

Zayn makes a grimace and shakes his head. He will never thank him. _Never_.

"Anyways, was nice seeing you again, Zayn. And remember, you can always come home." Zayn's uncle says with a smile. "Come on, Lanzo" He calls his son. Lazarus pets Zayn's shoulder on his way past him.

"I will kill him!" Zayn clenches his fists.

"No, you won't kill anyone. You are not like them, Zayn." Louis says calmly and steps closer to his friend.

"Here." Harry appears next to him and hands him a cup.

"Thanks." Zayn gives his friend a half smile and drowns the yellow water.

Zayn locks eyes with his friends and then leaves the room. He takes the steps and follows them upstairs. Slowly he passes down the hallway and stops in front of the door Liam had run out of before crashing into him. He presses his lips into a thin line and enters the room.

He walks over to the window to look outside; it's the perfect view towards the sea. Zayn rests his elbows on the window shelf and watches a pair of birds chasing each other. When he was younger, he used to follow them, trying to study them but they were always faster, he sighs at the memory.

Those were easier times, with his mom and dad still around. He takes a deep breath in and looks to his left where the bed is. He tilts his head at the imprint he sees in the dust. It must have been from Liam. Zayn knees down and touches where the dust is smudged on the wooden floor. He levels his eyes with the bedside table. He furrows his eyebrows and gets back to his feet. Wondering if something scared Liam that caused him falling backwards or if he was just clumsy.

☼

"Look at my picture, Liam!" Aalam says proud and climbs onto the guy's lap to show him his drawing. Liam smiles down at him, before his smile fades. It's Zayn. He is sure. Zayn with wings. "Don't you like it?" Aalam pouts with a hiccup in his voice.

"No, it's beautiful. I like it." Liam says fast.

Aalam seems satisfied with the answer and starts wiggling on Liam's lap excited. "Can you guess who it is?" He asks. "But don't say the name." He whispers.

Liam chuckles. "It's _you know who._ " Liam plays along with a fond eye roll.

Aalam giggles. "Yes. Here, it's for you." He says.

"Thank you very much" Liam smiles.

For today, activities are planned on the camp grounds. When his kids are busy laughing at older kids who try to push each other down a board with a foam bet, Liam excuses himself to the bathroom. He just finished washing his hands when the door opens and closes. The figure stays at the door and doesn't move. Liam sighs, knowing who it is. " _Zayn_ " He says enraged. But the chuckle he hears isn't from Zayn, it's cold and- Liam turns around, eyes wide at the person standing there. Raven hair like Zayn, but with a red bang. Liam swallows, legs starting to shake as he feels himself unable to move.

This kind of being scared is different than it was with Zayn.

"So, you are the human my dear cousin has his eyes on." The guy narrows his eyes and takes a step closer, mustering Liam's face. His eyes travel judgemental over Liam's face, over his eyebrows, eyes, nose, chin, _neck_. Liam tries to get away but it feels like he is stuck in an invisible box. Liam's heart rate speeds up.

"Let me go." His voice is shaking. This is the first time, he is mentally calling for Zayn.

" _Shhhhh_ " The guy says and lets his finger wander over Liam's lips. Their toes bumping on the ground. "You are exactly his typ.e" The strange guy says. "But too fearful" he grins at Liam and lets his finger wander over his cheek. Liam feels the sweat running down his back.

They hear a noise from outside and just in time as the door opens, the guy in front of him disappears and Liam can breath again.

"Everything alright?" The man asks, he was the one instructing the egg run from a few days ago.

"Yeah, just. Just started to feel sick, but it's better now." He lies and turns back around, supporting himself with both of his hands on the sink.

"Maybe you were too long in the sun. What is your group? I can take over for a while if you need a break." He suggests.

Liam bites his lip and wants to decline, but. "Yeah, that'd be great. It's the youngest boys, Team Red." Liam replies.

"Oh, you are Liam. The boys adore you."

Liam smiles at that. "I'll lay down for a bit, if that's ok?"

"Sure, I'll have an eye on your boys, then."

"Thank you." Liam says and leaves the bathroom.

He walks towards his tent and  takes one last look over his shoulder to make sure he is alone, before he runs towards the way that leads into the forest. He hurries past the trees and anything else that gets in his way while the sun is shining hot down on him. He wipes the sweat off his forehead as he jumps over the wooden fence. He pants as he stops in front of the stairs that lead to the front door. He tries to get his breathing under control and ignores the sting in his side as he tries to breath. Then he climbs the stairs and knocks, with far less of a strength than yesterday.

Harry opens the door with a smile, that disappears as soon as he faces a red faced Liam. "Come in." he says worried and slings his arm around Liam. The door falls shut behind them and for the first time Liam is glad for the coolness in this house.

"Where is Zayn?" Liam asks as Harry sits him down on the couch.

"Wait here." Harry instructs, ignoring his question and leaves the room.

A few moments later Harry comes back with a cup, "Here." He says and hands it to Liam. "Drink all of it." He orders and Liam does. He feels the heat getting sucked out of his body, his heart calms down and his breathing is back to normal, the pain is gone.

" _Zayn_ , where is he?" Liam asks, this time colder.

Harry gives him a sympathetic look, before he can say anything the guy in question enters the room. "H- _Liam_?" He says, eyebrow furrowed.

Liam gets to his feet and takes long steps over to the raven haired guy, pointing his finger at him. "If _you_ or anyone of your _resembles_ gets to _me_ or the camping ground _one more time_ i will-" Liam stops himself, he didn't notice that he was walking backwards by now, _forced_ to walk backwards while Zayn takes steps forward. He is being cornered against the wall.

"Breath and tell me what you are talking about" Zayn says calm, his hands resting next to Liam on the wall, not breaking eye contact.

Liam swallows and takes another deep breath, mirroring Zayn. "Your cousin-" Liam begins, wrinkling his eyebrows when Zayn drops his head against his collarbone.

"What did he do?" Zayn groans deep out of his throat into Liam's t-shirt.

"I don't know, frozen me, and t-touched me." Liam says quiet, not knowing why he tells Zayn all of this.

Zayn's knuckles white, where he grips at the wall. "What else?"

"N-nothing." Liam voice gives up. His eyes widen when suddenly wings appear out of nowhere –red wings, behind Zayn.

"Zayn, deep breathes." Harry tries to calm Zayn down. "I'll make him a drink, it'll protect him." He adds.

With a grunt, Zayn pulls away from Liam, face in pain. A lot of questions form in Liam's brain, questions he is curious to know the answer to, questions he is scared to know the answer to, and questions that he isn't sure, if he wants to know the answer to.

Liam bites his lip and watches Zayn for a moment, the angel has his back towards him, facing Liam with his wings. Carefully, Liam takes a step forward, unbending his arm to touch a feather; he feels like he is in a trance. Liam bites his lips as he gently lets the tip of his finger lay ontop of a red feather. Zayn shutters at the touch and turns his head, eyeing Liam curious.

"Is this ok?" Liam asks, voice low.

Zayn nods. "You can touch more, you know. It feels nice." Zayn half smiles.

Liam takes another step forward and lets his palm wander in long strokes over the tips of the feathers. Zayn closes his eyes and sighs happily. Liam feels more confident and decides to shove his hand further down into the feathers. Zayn chuckles lightly and tilts his head to the side, enjoying the touch. Liam feels a shower of confidence wash over him, when he reaches the bottom and lets his fingertips move circles onto the warm flesh.

"Here." Harry’s voice fills the air around them and sets a small golden bottle down on the table. “It’ll protect you.” he adds and locks eyes with Liam who lets his hand drop to his side while a light blush is creeping over his cheeks.

Niall walks through the door with a bright grin on his lips when he sees Liam. “Hey!” he greets him with a wave of his hand, like he is an old friend.

Then Louis enters the room, with his white feathers swaying in the wind with every step. "A visitor. Hey Liam." Louis smiles at him and his wings flutter excited. "Good news, Lanzo is gone, he won't bother you anymore." he adds.

Liam looks confused over to Zayn, then back to Louis. "I am a member of the _Carriers_ , We know what is happening around here." he explains with a tap to his head.

Liam then locks eyes with Harry, who smiles. " _Healer._ " Liam gives a nod and lets his eyes go over to Niall who grins at him

" _Protector_ , but you already knew that" Niall says.

Liam gives another nod. "How come you all have white feathers but Zayn has- red ones?" Liam asks quietly. His words were faster over his lips than his brain could process the question.

"It's 'cause he is _bad._ " Louis says with a deep, creepy voice, trying to sound terrifying, but the amused grin on his lips gives him away. Liam narrows his eyes, while watching Zayn, the other boy sighs.

"It's not my fault that my great –great –great –great –great –great –great –great –great –great –great-" he is being interrupted.

"Zayn, _today_." Louis sighs fond.

"-That my Grandpa who lived 886 years ago, killed the Witch." Zayn says, somewhat defending himself.  

"Why did he do that?" Liam asks shocked.

Zayn shruggs "I don't know."

"No one does, actually." Niall says.

" _Witch_ " Liam mumbles under his breath and shakes his head. This is getting more ridiculous each time he is here.

"Zayn's grandpa literally erased the witches from this world." Harry says.

"No he didn't. Somewhere are still her great grandchildren, they just don't know about their powers. The witches ran off and started to mingle  themselves with the humans as soon as the murder got public. That's why their powers are getting weaker with every generation and everyone in our world already is convinced that the powers are gone by now." Niall says. "But according to my great aunt, there will be one grandchild of  hers left who will-"

"Niall. Your aunt was crazy. She was in a hospital before she killed herself." Louis says.

"Well, but I still believe her." Niall says confident.

Liam furrows his eyebrows. Maybe _he_ is the crazy one and will end up in a mental hospital himself. The young man shakes his head and rubs the side of his head while taking a step towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Zayn asks, raising one eyebrow.

Liam doesn't turn around as he chuckles. "Back to camp" he says. "This is crazy. I _am_ crazy. This is not real!" He shakes his head as he continues walking towards the door.

" _Liam!_ " He hears, as he steps into the hallway. It's a whisper. A deep voice, so deep Liam nearly missed it. He turns back around and looks questioning at the four boys in the room. He catches Zayn's eyes, before turning back around and taking another step. " _Liam_ " He hears again, this time a bit louder. He feels a cold shower going down his back, but it doesn't scare him. It's almost like some _thing_ is calling him. He stops in the entrance hall, eyeing the stairs leading up for a moment.

"Don't forget this." this time Liam jumps to the side, it's Harry, holding the bottle towards him. "Take a sip of it every night before you go to bed and every morning after you have woken up." He instructs and hands Liam the small golden bottle, with angel wings carved into them and turns to face Zayn.

They lock eyes, "If you would be so kind and stop putting yourself into my brain, that would be really appreciated." Liam grunts and drops the bottle into his pocket. He doesn't plan on drinking this, anyways. He steps out of the door into the afternoon sun and starts his way back.

When Liam is back in the tent, he drops the bottle into his backpack and lays down on his bed. He tries to get his thoughts sorted out, but it doesn't work. He reaches back into the backpack and fishes the golden bottle out. He looks at the cravings, each feather is perfect detailed. He wipes his finger over it and this time, when the wings star to beat slowly up and down, he watches in awe instead of freaking out.

His eyelids are getting heavier as he watches the wing's movement. He takes another breath in and is taken back into a dream, a dream that feels more like a lost memory than a movie made up by his brain.

 

I was dark. He heard feet pounding over the wooden floor and the kids laughter. "Catch me if you can" A little girl's voice giggled.

Another laugh filled his ears. "I will".

The ponding of feet got louder. Then a woman voice filled his ears. He felt a warm familiar feeling in his stomach as he let the voice fill his body. "No running in the house, girls" The voice was soft and gentle.

"Sorry mom" The two girls' voices echoed.

A door opened and closed, then he started to see. A room, with a couch and an old oven with a kettle on; steam was coming from it. A woman sat on the couch, knitting while watching with a smile to a corner in the image Liam doesn't see yet. Like she was watching something or someone. Then, suddenly, a voice. A voice that sounded like his own when he was younger filled the room. "I can't do this mom. I am not a witch." The voice sounded upset.

"Of course you are. You first need to learn how to use your powers, keep trying." She smiled encouraging. Liam didn't find the source of the voice though. The vision lst the focus of the room and jumped to a table. A table he has seen before, with a big angel and smaller ones.

A little hand appeared on the table,small fingers were being laid down  onto the wings and –and the angel started moving its wings.

 

Liam shoots up in his bed, hair wet with sweat, his hands are trembling. Without looking at the bottle in his hands, he drops it into his backpack, loading all kinds of stuff on top of it before hiding the bag underneath his fold bed.

"Liam!" he hears Aalam’s voice. Liam turns around to look at the boy. "Are you feeling better?" he asks and steps towards the bed.

"Yeah, yeah. Just needed a nap." Liam forces a smile.

"Dinner is ready in a bit." Aalam informs him.

"Alright, then let's get ready. Where are the others?" Liam asks and gets off the bed, holding Aalam's hand as the little kid reaches for his as he passes by. "With Charlie playing _who am I_?"

As they step out of the tent a cold wind is blowing over the camp grounds, making him shiver. It's the beginning of the night, the sun has lost its strengths, letting the earth cool down to a nice relaxing temperature. Before he enters the dining tent with Aalam he takes a last look to the sky behind himself. A dark cloud is spreading above a spot over the forest. Liam bites his lip, he has a feeling that the spot the cloud is hovering over, is no other place than the house where the angels live.

☼

Zayn is still standing in the open door. Looking out where Liam just had left. "What the fuck is up with you?" Louis wonders and leans his back against the wall next to Zayn.

"I don't know." Zayn answers and bites his lip. He locks eyes with Louis.

"Maybe you should take a few days, you know, go away from here."

"No, I am not leaving!" Zayn declines immediately, while breaking eye contact with his friend to watch a deer in the distance.

Louis breathes in, "I don't know what is up with Liam, but I think you should stay away from him." He says while studying Zayn's profile.

Zayn laughs dry. "I have tried that. He always came back."

"Then _you_ have to leave."

"I don't think he is a threat, though." Zayn defends Liam.

Louis nods before saying "He is back at camp, safe and sound." he half smiles and pats Zayn's back before leaving him alone at the door.

The raven haired boy sighs and follows Louis, the door swinging shut behind him.  Zayn catches the end of an argument between Niall and Harry. It's about Niall's aunt theory, probably. Zayn rolls his eyes, he doesn't want to hear anything from a prediction she had while being drugged up with medications.

"So, about-" Louis starts but is being interrupted as everything turns dark around them. The sun is being blocked by something, erasing the sunshine that fell through the windows into the room. They hear the front door creak opening and then a man, with white spread wings, is standing in the living room.

"Dad!" Louis exclaims with a smile as he steps forward, giving his father a hug.

"Son." The man says, and hugs the younger version of himself back.

Zayn feels his stomach turn upside down. He focuses his eyes on the ground where he is standing in the room, knowing that Louis' dad is not happy that his son hangs out with the _bad_ one. None of his friends parents are happy about it, actually. The only one from their families who doesn't doom him for something that his ancestor did, is Harry's sister.

"Hello Harry, Niall." The man nods towards the other two.

"Hello, Sir." The two greet back and give a little wave.

"Is everything alright around here?" Louis' dad asks then, with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Of course. Everything's like always." Louis responses, even though his Dad definitely knows about Liam; he _is_ the eldest of the _Carriers_ , now that his father had died.

The eyes of the man fall on Zayn. "I have been informed that you have made a new friend." he says then, eyes narrowing.

Zayn nods while holding eye contact with Louis' dad.  

"Liam is fine, dad. Just a bit clumsy, is all." Louis chimes in.

Louis' dad sighs deeply and says, "Let's not make preliminary decisions, son."

Louis mentally rolls his eyes " _Because those can affect our knowledge_ , I know that."

"Good. Always keep that in mind, even if you are with people who you trust." The man says, after eyeing Zayn again.

Zayn huffs, "What's that supposed to mean?" he speaks up, glaring at the taller man.

Louis' dad flutters angrily with his wings, ice cold blue eyes lock with Zayn's. "We have noticed a few incidents which  weren't able to be located by us. I know we have never had any trouble with you, Zayn. But I feel like we will soon." he says critical

" _Dad!_ " Louis cries.

The man falls silent and rubs on his chin while locking eyes with his son for a moment.

"What kind of incidents?"  Harry asks curious from the couch, breaking the stare that father and son held.  The youngest of them feels the heat of Niall's knee against his.  

Daniel shrugs and faces his body towards the curly haired one. "We don't know, yet. That's why we have to keep our eyes open."

"Do you think it's a threat?" Niall wonders curious.

"We can't say anything about it yet." The man explains honestly and shakes his head while looking back at Zayn.

Louis' dad turns his head again to face his son " _So_. It was nice seeing you, son. You too, Harry and Niall. You should pay us a visit more often, Louis." His father smiles and pats Louis' shoulder.

"Not as long as you treat my best friend the way you do." Louis replies seriously.

"I don't trust him, though."

"But _I_ do." Louis says confident.

"Take care, Louis" Louis' father says and disappears just like he had come.

"Do you think something else is out there?" Niall wonders, raising his eyebrow at Zayn.

"I don't know" Zayn sighs and drops down next to Harry on the couch. They all eye Louis who is still standing in the middle of the room, biting on his lip.

"Do you know anything about it, Lou?" Harry asks carefully.

Louis shrugs. "I know what he is talking about, but I don't know what it is either. It must be something else. If Dad can't locate it, no one can. At least none of _us._ "

☼

"Good night, boys" Liam says quietly as he turns the light bulbs off in the tent. He is walking over to his bed and sits down, before reaching into his bag to get his phone. It's _9:30pm_ , he doesn't feel tired yet. He wants- He sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and doesn't finish his thought. He is _not_ going back _there_. It's not like they are friends, or anything. Liam drops his phone back into his bag and reaches for the golden bottle. This time, the wings are already moving by just looking at the wings.

 _Should_ _he_? He asks himself. He inhales a deep breath and pulls the top off to smell it, he smells… nothing. He lays the opening on his lips and wets his upper lips with the liquid before letting his tongue go over the wet spot. He doesn't taste anything, either.

"Liam?" A girl's voice calls quietly into the tent. He quickly lets his tongue go over the spot on his lip a few times, trying to get rid of any evidence. Liam closes the bottle again and hides it underneath his blanket. With socked feet, he walks over the cool ground and steps outside.

"Yeah?" He asks in a whisper before turning his head once more to look at the sleeping shadows inside.

Charlie pulls Liam to the side and slings her arms around his neck, bumping their foreheads. "You have been acting weird today, is everything alright?" She asks worried.

"Just felt a bit sick, but I am better now." He assures with a smile.

"Do you feel _good enough_ , for-" She teases and stops to peck Liam's lips. Suddenly, Liam feels an electrical shock on his lips.

"Ouch." Charlie says and licks her lips to sooth the pain while pulling away. Liam rubs his lips too and giggles.

"I must have electrically loaded myself on my blanket with my socks." He chuckles.

Charlie shakes fond her head. "Alright, then unload yourself over the night, we'll continue this tomorrow." She grins and blinks up at him before she pecks his cheek. Then she takes off, disappearing in the early darkness.

Liam looks confused after her. He sighs and enters the tent, seeing his kids fast asleep in their beds. As he arrives back at his bed, he shoves the bottle back down into his bag and lays down, letting a dreamless sleep come over him.

☼

Louis is walking up and down in the room. He inhales a deep shaking breath, trying to _see_ something. But he fails. He _does_ s _ee_ something, but it's not clear. It's like a black screen that stops him from seeing _what_ , _where_ and _who_ is doing something, but he knows that something is happening. Louis rubs his palms over his face and tries to calm his breath, then he takes his mind back to camp. He sees Liam, sleeping in his bed peacefully with the kids. He sees the camp grounds and the tents with the other kids and adults. Louis furrows his eyebrow,

 _Where is the bottle_?

He takes his mind back to Liam. Louis is so focused in his mind, that he doesn't notice Harry who is standing next to him.

Harry lays his hand on his friend's shoulder. The older one jumps at the touch. "It's just me, Lou." Harry says calm and gives him a worried look. "Everything alright?" He asks and rests his hand on Louis' neck and starts to softly massage the tense muscles there.

Louis sighs and closes his eyes, he drops his thoughts and only focuses on Harry. "No. The thing that my Dad was talking about, it was back. It felt… it felt stronger" Louis says quiet.

"Stronger?" Harry questions.

"Yeah, I don't know how else to describe it." Louis sighs

"Do you want me to get you something to calm you down?" Harry asks.

"No. Just do _this_ , this is _good._ " Louis smiles and closes his eyes while letting his head loll forward. Harry chuckles. "What would I do without you?" he opens one eye to look at Harry with a grin.

"Lose your mind?" Harry suggests.

"Nah, I have Zayn for that" Louis teases.

Harry pouts "Be bored out of your arse?" Harry tries again, hopeful.

"Got Niall for that." Louis says and straightens his back as Harry pulls his hand away while frowning at the man in front of him.

Louis snorts and pulls the younger boy towards himself. His hands are holding Harry around the waist, "I have got you for _way_ better things." Louis says, their fronts lining up. Harry switches the frown on his face into a dimple smile, while slinging his arms around Louis' neck.

"Really? For what?" Harry teases.

Louis nuzzles his face into Harry's neck and inhales his best friend's scent before letting his lips press against the skin. " _You know_ " he mumbles against Harry's neck. Louis presses a few more soft kisses to Harry's neck before pulling back to lay his forehead against Harry's.

"Is this ok?" Louis asks, eyes not leaving Harry's.

Harry sighs. "You were the one who broke it off."

"Well," Louis sighs quietly and bumps his nose against Harry's. "I said I needed a break, but-"

" _Lou._ " Harry cuts him off and pulls his head away from Louis', without moving his body, though. "I am not your toy that you can get out when you feel like it." Harry clarifies.

Louis bites his lip, he _knows_ Harry is right.

"You are my best friend, I think you did the right thing calling it off." Harry says then and disconnects their bodies. Louis frowns at the loss of warmth. "You were right, Lou. With what you had said before we started _this._ " Harry admits while making a hand gesture between the two of them. "If you wouldn't have broken it off, I think we wouldn't have been able to go back to how we were before."

Louis stares at his feet as Harry talks. "You did the right thing when you called it off." Harry repeats himself from earlier, even if it sounds more forced than neutral.

"You guys are my only family, Lou. To have all four of you is more important to me, than, you know." Harry says and locks eyes with Louis.

The other boy nods. "Yeah, you are right." Louis agrees then and drops his eyes to the floor.

"How about a grilled cheese?" Harry suggests then, changing the subject.

Louis looks up and smiles at him. "Sounds great." Harry smiles back and both of them make their way to the kitchen.

Louis sits down on the island behind the stove and watches Harry prepare. "Do you know where Zayn and Niall are?" Louis asks. The digital red clock numbers from the oven is showing _09:58 pm_.

"Niall dragged him along to a club." Harry answers, with his back towards Louis. He is ripping the cheese package open. "You know, this would be faster if you would help me" Harry grins as he uses a knife to cover the toasts with butter.

Louis sighs and jumps off the island, he grabs himself a knife and stands behind Harry. He hooks his arms underneath the talle ones and rests his chin on his friend’s shoulder to see where to reach. Louis is standing on his tippy toes. Harry chuckles and bends his knees enough, so Louis can put his heels back down on the floor. Neither of them mention it, though.

Harry folds the sandwiches and puts them into the pan. Louis bites his lip, he is still standing  front-to-back to Harry, his arms are now holding his friend's middle. He feels his palms rise with Harry's breathing. The younger boy leans his head against Louis' and sighs. "Has Liam drunk from the bottle, yet?" Harry asks then.

"No, and talking about the bottle, I don't see it either."

"Maybe he threw it away?" Harry suggests.

"Yeah, maybe. But then I would have seen it, I was following him all the way back." Louis replies.

Harry tenses up underneath Louis' hold. "Why did you watch him?" Harry asks confused.

"Something just tells me, to keep an eye on him." The older one sighs and the toasts starts to sizzle in the pan.

Louis closes his eyes as he breathes Harry in, he misses him. He has ever since he had called their _benefits_ off. He was scared if he couldn't get away from him _then_ , then he would never. And he knew Harry is young and probably doesn't plan to be staying with Louis like this for the rest of his life.

"You are doing it again." Harry points out as he flips the toasts over.

"What?" Louis asks.

Harry closes his eyes and leans his body backwards, letting himself sink into Louis'.

The younger one presses his bum towards Louis' crotch. The man behind Harry catches his breath. "Don't tease me when you don't plan on doing something about it." Louis warns and lets his teeth nibble on Harry's thin skin on his throat. Harry turns the stove off and sets the plate off the heat before turning around, locking eyes with Louis.

"But only this _one time_ , and then we'll forget about this and-" Harry starts but Louis interrupts him by pressing his lips onto Harry's. The younger boy sinks into it and slings his arms around his friend's neck to kiss back for a few moments. "Do you understand?" Harry asks in between the kiss. Louis hums in response. " _Do you_?" Harry asks again, pushier this time but still gentle.

"Yes, I do" Louis agrees then, before brushing his lips against Harry's again.

☼

The two men lay in Louis' bed. Harry is laying on his back and Louis is laying on his tummy next to him, having one arm laid over the younger boy's chest.

"Missed this, H." Louis says quietly. "Me too. But this isn't good for us, for our friendship, Lou."

Louis shifts, so that he is leaning up on his elbow, looking down on Harry. They share a smile before Louis pecks his lips once more. As he leans away again, Harry's lips are chasing his, and then strong hands push him back down by the back of his head.

"For _someone_ -" Louis starts between the kiss. "Who is scared _for_ our friendship-", another soft press of lips. " _You_ do a lot of kissing" He finishes.

Harry stops kissing him, but they keep their foreheads touched "You started this. And I know this won't happen again after today, so just let me enjoy kissing you for a bit longer." Harry says, pupils wide with a small pout on his lips. Louis giggles as they kiss again.

**  
**

#  Day Seven

 

The numbers on Louis' clock next to the bed changes from _11:59pm_ to _12pm_. In that moment, he feels the bed dip and then the warmth that had just been right next to him is gone. "I am warming up the grilled cheese, are you coming?" Harry wonders while getting dressed.

Louis stretches himself "No, I guess I'll just sleep some."

Harry nods and smiles at him "See you tomorrow then, sleep tight." Harry smiles weakly and Louis smiles back.

"You too." he says before Harry is walking towards the door and shuts the light off on his way out.  The curly haired man closes the door behind himself and sinks down against the wood. Harry buries his fingers in his messy hair and tucks on some brown curls.

He needs a moment to _breathe_.

☼

Louis is laying on his belly on the hot sheet, his face is pressed into the spot where Harry had been only moments ago. He lets the last hour and a half replay in his brain, how it had felt to hold Harry close and to smell him. How his belly tickled excitedly as they kissed.

The only reason why he had broken it off the first time, was because he knew he was falling deeper than he already was. Every touch and every laugh and every breath Harry took near Louis, captured him more. He misses it already, the soft lips against his, the giggle he heard in his ears while touching him and the huffs of breaths that hit his nose in between their million kisses.

He takes a deep breath in, letting the rest of Harry that lingered in the sheets fill his lungs. Louis tries to keep the breath in as long as he can, before he lets it go slowly. With it, he lets Harry go, too. He turns around, so he is laying on his back again, facing the ceiling and waiting until he is too tired to keep his eyes open for any longer.

☼

Liam rubs his left eye with his fist as he enters the bathroom the next morning. He disappears in one of the cubicles with a sink, whistling a random tune as he starts to put some toothpaste onto his toothbrush. Suddenly, the door to the bathroom creaks open and then closes again with a click. Liam freezes and bites his bottom lip to stop his whistling, he tries to hear footsteps but he hears nothing. The only sound he is hearing is the water pouring out of the faucet in front of him. The young man's heart starts beating faster in his chest as he feels a heavy stare on the back of his head.  

Liam's hands start to sweat and a cold feeling creeps up his neck. The brunette lowers his eyes into the sink, waiting for the door to open again but it doesn't happen, instead he catches a shadow on the floor as he allows his eyes to take a look to his right. Maybe he should go, leave the camp and go back home, if he survives this. Of course there couldn't come anything good out of it, hanging out with a _cursed_ angel. Regardless whether he had something to do with a murder or not.

"Liam?" A voice echos in the bathroom. Liam doesn't pay attention to the sound of the voice. His heart beat picks up in his chest as he turns around and screams, holding the toothbrush towards the figure, that is laying on their tummy in the air, using the edge of the door to rest their arms on it.

It's Louis.

Louis snickers. "Oh wow, I am scared of your toothbrush." He says amused, with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Liam drops his toothbrush on the floor "I hate you!" Liam scolds and leans his back against the sink. He tries to calm his breath as he locks eyes with Louis who grins down at him.

"No need to hate me, I am a good one. I promise."

"You scared me to death, that is not _good._ " Liam grits.

The other man laughs. "Sorry."

"Apology _not_ accepted. I need a new toothbrush because of you." Liam frowns while eyeing the yellow stick on the floor.

"I will get you a new one, but, first," He starts. Liam's eyes jump up to the boy who is now sitting on the edge of the door, with his legs hanging in the air in front of him. "What did you do to the bottle?" He raises curious his eyebrow.

Liam wrinkles his eyebrows. "It's in my bag." He replies honestly and picks the toothbrush up and drops it into the bin. With a sigh, he turns back around, leaning his back against the sink again before crossing his arms in front of his chest. Then he locks eyes with the boy above him.

Louis narrows his eyebrow. "Have you drunk from it?" He wonders interested.

Liam shakes his head. "Nope. Do you want it back? I can bring it to you." the brunette man offers.

Louis shakes his head. "No, keep it." he replies. "You should think about drinking the liquid, though, if you don't want to get surprised by Zayn's cousin again." He adds.

"What exactly is it?" Liam wonders.

"Just something that protects you from the _bad_ ones." Louis smiles.

"From Zayn, too?" Liam questions.

"Not that you'd needed protection from Zayn, but he is part of the family, so yes."

"What will it do?" Liam continues keen.

Louis shrugs. "I think it'll give you and him an electrical shock."

Liam's eyes widen. His mind takes him back to the night before. To Charlie. But that was probably only because of his socks and the blanket. He must have loaded himself up, that happens all the time.

"You alright?" Louis asks worried. Liam nods absently. "Drink the liquid. A little sip twice a day." The angel repeats and clicks with his tongue before jumping to the ground in front of Liam. "Take care, Liam" he adds and unlocks the door to leave the cubicle.

The brunette inhales a deep breath as the door to the cubicle falls shut in front of him. Liam stares at the closed but unlocked door for a moment and let's the past minutes rewind in his head before he makes his way back to the tent. The boys are still fast asleep. Liam reaches for the bottle and sighs, he shouldn't trust them, he _really_ shouldn't. But he finds himself opening the bottle and takes a sip. _It_ -it doesn't taste like anything. With a sigh, he closes the bottle again and sits down for a few moments.

Suddenly,he starts to feel dizzy.

" _Liam_?" He hears someone call, it sounds distant in his ears, and his eyes have trouble focusing on anything in the tent. He feels like he is five and on a merry-go-around on the fair –until he feels something cold and wet in his face.

Liam blinks a few times as his vision starts to become clearer again. He finds himself leaning forward, hands supporting his weight on the unstable bed. Liam takes a deep breath in and straightens his body; as he looks around he notices five pair of eyes looking at him, worried. "I'm fine" is what Liam hears himself say. The boys don't move and raise their eyebrows at him.

Julian and Devin are standing on the other side of the fold bed. Julian is holding a simple plastic water gun in his hand, Drew is standing near Nobu who is standing protective in front of Aalam. "Let's get you guys dressed, breakfast will be ready soon." Liam continues and the boys move.   

They get ready and then walk over to the dining tent. This is the first morning he doesn't have to chase the boys, all of them are walking slowly next to him while sharing confused looks with each other. Liam feels the stare on his face that Charlie gives him as soon as he had entered the tent.

"Is everything alright?" Charlie asks worried, not taking her eyes off the young man.

"Yeah, just a bit of a headache." Liam replies with a shake of his head.

☼

Zayn enters sighing the living room, joining Harry and Louis who are watching TV. "How was your night with Niall?" Louis grins teasing and wiggles his eyebrows.

"It was ok." Zayn replies with a smile and sits down next to his friend. "Next time you two have to come with us." He adds.

"We will" Harry promises with a grin.

"What were you two doing?" Zayn asked

"Made us some grilled cheese and watched a movie." Louis answers for his friend.

 The raven haired man nods along. "How is Liam?" He asks then curious and locks eyes with his older friend. The other two men raise their eyebrow at him. Zayn blushes. "He is cute." He defends himself.

"He is." Louis agrees amused.

Harry shoves his elbow into Louis' ribs.

"Can you please take a look?" Zayn bites his lip to hide an embarrassed smile.

Louis snorts "He is probably having breakfast right now, sitting with his boys."

"What about the older girl?" Zayn asks. Louis furrows confused his eyebrow, whenever he checked on the brunette, he always was with his boys.

Louis shrugs it off and takes his mind to camp. Zayn watches his friend while nibbling on his bottom lip with his teeth.

"And?" Zayn asks.

Louis stays quiet, face getting pale, heart beating faster. "I can't find him." He stutters. "I-I don't _see_ him" He adds panicked. "The little boy who is always next to Liam, seems like is talking to the free seat next to him." Louis continues with a shaky voice. A hot shudder goes through Zayn, for a moment he doesn't know how to breath or how to think.

Those two seconds he needs to get control over his body again feel like an eternity. The raven haired angel spreads his wings as he is getting on his feet, almost hitting Harry in the face in the process.

" _Zayn_!" Harry reaches for his friend's arm to stop him, then he follows Zayn to stand on his feet. "Don't go alone, you don't know-" he starts but Zayn cuts him off angrily.

"Liam is _not_ the enemy" Zayn spits, he is on his way to the door when–  

" _Zayn_. At the picnic area in the forest. He is on the ground, he keeps appearing and disappearing for me, he seems in pain!" Louis informs his friend worried. Zayn swallows the lump in his throat and runs out of the house.

☼

Zayn is speeding over the trees, the wind of his wings is making the tree crowns move aggressively underneath him. He finds Liam, laying on the ground curled in on himself in pain. The angel sinks down and runs over. "Liam?" He calls out and crouches down next to the other man's face. Liam's face is red and sweat is running down his forehead and cheeks. The raven haired man slips one arm under Liam's legs and the other behind his head to support his neck before he shoots  up towards the sky.

Liam is shaking in Zayn's arms, the sweat is dripping off Liam's face and onto Zayn's skin. Painful grunts are leaving the brunettes throat as his eyes flutter uncontrollably.

Zayn's vision gets fuzzy, it's the drink that should protect Liam from Lanzo, Zayn knows. Liam's eyes land on Zayn's, asking a question. "You'll be fine" he promises.

They are landing in front of the house only a few short moments later. The angel runs inside, he pushes against the sudden weight on his feet and the throbbing in his head as he carries Liam into the living room. He lays the still grunting man down onto the couch.

Zayn takes deep breaths and leans his weight against the nearest wall he can reach, while watching Harry stepping to Liam's side.

The brunette on the couch feels a soft hand straightening his neck, then a finger is tilting his chin upwards before someone opens his mouth. Some liquid is drowned into his throat. It feels nice, it paralyzes him from the inside, numbing the pain. His breathing steadies out, and the last thing he sees before his eyes fall shut is Zayn blinking down on him from the other side of the couch.

☼

Liam hears voices, first they sound distant, then the sounds get closer until he can understand the words. He feels a soft finger soothing him over his cheek. The brunette opens his eyes and blinks a few times to clear his vision.

"Are you feeling any better?" Zayn asks quietly. The voice relaxes him even more.

"Yeah." Liam says, voice raw from sleep, he tries to raise his upper body to get into a sitting position but a hand pushes him back down.

"No. You stay down there, until I know how to fix you." Harry says sternly, with a finger pointed towards him. "Can you tell me what happened?" He adds.

Liam huffs. "I was just taking a little sip of that water you gave me." Liam accuses Harry.

"But that's not possible that you have that kind of a reaction to it." Harry replied.

"Well, I did" Liam says furious.

"Maybe he is allergic." Louis wonders.

"I only used herbs from our garden." Harry says.

"Harry is right, the only ones who were allergic to our herbs were-" Zayn starts but is interrupted by a sudden running and falling from upstairs.

"What's our leprechaun up to, this time?" Louis asks with a fond shake of his head, he only gets shrugs as a response, though. A few moments later Niall is falling into the room, carrying a picture frame almost as big as himself in front of his chest.

"Guys!" Niall exclaims while catching his breath through a cough. The other three raise their eyes at their friend. Liam just stares at him.

Niall grins. "Look at _this!_ " He says and turns the old frame around. It’s a portrait, the man on the picture is almost idendical to Liam. Same face shape, same eyebrows, only the birthmark that Liam has on his neck is missing.

"That is-" Niall starts.

"My –something –  great grandfather. My mom has a picture of him in our house." Liam cuts Niall off and furrows his eyebrow confused.

"That is Leeroy James Payne. The son of no other  than, Liane Josey Payne." The blond one says. "Liam is a descendant from Leroy's _only_ child." Niall clarifies.

Silence fills the room, all Liam can hear is his heart beat  and the deep breathes from everyone else in this room. The brunette has no idea who this Liane Josey Payne is, but he has a feeling that everyone else does. He looks to the others who are staring at him in shock, Liam swallows thickly, unsure of what is going to happen next, unsure if he should better leave and not come back.

"He can't stay here, he needs to leave!" Louis mutters under his breath.

"Not before I have given him something against his shock, the poison needs to get out of his system." Harry shakes his head. "But-" he adds and eyes Zayn. " _You_ have to go." Harry finishes.

Zayn immediately shakes his head. "I am not leaving him, I am the only one who can protect him if anyone finds out about him!" He argues.

"If you want to protect him, you have to go." Louis agrees with Harry.

"But-" Zayn tries to argue, unsuccessfully.

"Listen, Zayn. My Dad already knows something is fishy here, if you are gone from here, you will take his full attention with you."

Zayn frowns and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

“Excuse me, but can someone tell me what is happening?" Liam demands, he is confused and scared and the thought of Zayn leaving makes him feel anxious.

"Liane, she was the witch who got murdered by Zayn's ancestor…- I am sorry for your loss, by the way." Niall says and sits down on the couch where Liam's feet are. The brunette blinks at the blond man in front of him who gently lays his hand down on his ankle. It should be calming and reassuring but Liam doesn't feel any better.

"What are you talking about? I have nothing to do with your crazy world. You have lost your minds, all of you." Liam says and shrugs Niall's hand off of his leg before getting to his feet. He loses his balance though and feels his body falling to the side, before strong arms catch him.

"I hate all of you. First you drug me up and now this." Liam complains.

Niall chuckles from the couch as Zayn lays him back down onto the couch.

"I'll mix you something, it will help you." Harry promises gentle and keeps his eyes locked with Liam's for a brief moment before he looks over to Zayn.

"And you have to go. It's the best for Liam, and you." The curly haired boy adds.

"I'll come with you, Zayn." Louis states. "Just in case my Dad pays you a visit." he adds. Zayn shakes his head but doesn't argue.

Harry locks eyes with his older friend. "We'll be fine. You'll be fine." Louis reassures him and walks over to him.

Harry takes a step backwards, though and nods. "Yes. We will. Niall, stay with Liam, Louis and Zayn, _go_. And take care." He says the last part more to Louis than to anyone else, before he is disappearing out of the room.

Louis sighs deeply. "Told you fucking your best friend won't end well." Zayn judges.

 "Shut the fuck up and come, before I kill you." Louis threatens.

Zayn presses his lips together to suppress the smile that started to form on his lips before locking eyes with Liam. The brunette is still sitting on the couch, Zayn can see the million questions in his eyes.

Zayn opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

"Go, I'll watch over him." Niall promises. Zayn gives a nod and follows Louis towards the door.

"Wait- What- Where are you going?" Liam asks then and jumps to his feet before walking over to Zayn.

Liam has no idea where the urge to be around Zayn is suddenly coming from. He always felt drawn to the other guy, always felt a kind of longing for him. But _this_ , he can't explain it, he can't put it into words.

"Liam," Zayn reassures and catches the boy in his arms as his feet give up underneath the weight of his own body. The angel catches the other man around his waist, holding him upright with only one arm. "You need to stay away from me as long the poison is in your body." He says gentle.

Zayn feels his own vision getting blurry and he feels a headache starting in his head. "It's not good for you, or me. Your body is still weak, and being in my presence is making it worse." Zayn explains. Liam feels his eyes getting heavier, the beating of his heart is getting louder and more violent in his chest, and his stomach turns.

Liam feels another hand on his back and then an arm around his body. He doesn't realize who it is, but he feels that Zayn's hand is gone, he feels Zayn's body gone; he feels empty. Liam clings to the other body and lets himself being laid back down on the couch. His eyes are still heavy and his heart's still beating hurtfully in his chest, though, he doesn't know if this is because of the poison or because of the lack of Zayn.

☼

Zayn kicks against the piece of tree trunk in front of him, it almost splits in two. The man ignores the painful sting in his foot and continues to kick.

"Zayn, kicking that trunk isn't changing the situation." Louis reasons.

"Says the one who, _once again_ , fucked his best friend, even though he _knows_ better!" Zayn says, voice filled with rage as he stresses each word with a kick against the wood.

"Leave Harry and me out of this. This situation has nothing to do with us. This is about _you._ "

" _This_ " Kick. " _Is_ " Kick. " _Not_ " Kick. " _My_ " Kick. " _Fucking_ _fault_ " Kick. With the last kick to the tree trunk, breaks in half with a creak.

"I know it's not." Louis says gentle and lays his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I never said it was."

Zayn lets himself fall to the ground, his eyebrows are furrowed as he rubs his palms over his face. "Do you think- What if Niall's aunt was right? And-" Zayn says worried, dropping his hands and locking eyes with his friend.

The older man can see the panic and worry in the raven haired man's eyes. " _Zayn._ " Louis says calmly and sits down next to his friend. "Just because Liam is part of the Payne Family, does not mean that Niall's aunt was right with the prediction."

"But what if she _is._ " Zayn hiccups.

"Then we can't change that." Louis sighs sympathetic.

Zayn clenches his jaw and fists at the same time. "But, how high do you think the chances are, of a really sick woman, predicting the future?" Louis says, he sounds confident in what he just said. Zayn allows himself to calm down and unclenches his fists.

"Liam doesn't even know about his power. He will be ok." Louis continues and Zayn takes a shaking breath in,

"But what if he-"

"The power won't be strong enough for us to feel it. It's been almost 900 years Z, there is no way his power is strong enough. I would have noticed if something was off with him, the only time I didn't see him was after he had drunk the poison. Liam is safe. You know as long as I can see Liam he is not the enemy." Louis interrupts his friend to calm him down.

Zayn gives a nod and listens to the waterfall nearby. "Now back to you and Harry." Zayn changes the subject,

Louis sighs. "What do you want to know" he gives in.

"Why won't you just tell him?"

"Because it's the right thing. Sometimes the decision that hurts the most, is the right one." Louis replies. He feels the pain creeping underneath his skin, into his veins. Those veins carry the pain in his blood to his heart, where the pain starts to spread with every beat through his entire body. He feels it from his fingertips to his toes.

"Hey," Zayn says, voice soft and careful with a hint of regret for bringing it up. "It will turn out the way it is supposed to." he reassures his best friend. Louis gives him a weak smile in return.

☼

Liam opens his eyes, his heart is beating softly and quietly in his chest. The headache is gone.

"Are you feeling better?" Niall asks from the direction where his feet are. Liam nods and sits up slowly. "Here, drink this." the blond man adds and hands him a cup. Liam hesitates for a beat, before he reaches for the cup that is being handed over and drowns it. The liquid feels nice against his dry throat.

" _What_ -What is happening. _I_ \- I don't understand." Liam mumbles confused and looks back to the portrait that shows a too familiar face.

The man next to him sighs. "It's not my place to tell you anything, Liam. Best is that you know as little as possible."

"But why did Zayn need to leave?" Liam questions with a furrowed eyebrow.

Niall eyes him with narrowed eyes for a few moments. "You need to forget about Zayn, forget about us. The best would be if you leave this town." the blond one advises.

Liam crosses his arms in front of his chest, though. "I am not-" he starts before he is being interrupted.

Harry comes running into the room, "Niall! Get Liam-" he yell whispers, but it's already too late, two men with red fluorescent wings are entering the room.

"Hello cousin's friends." Zayn's uncle grins dirty, while eyeing Liam who is sitting next to Niall on the couch with wide eyes.

"You must be Liam, my son told me about your encounter." The man greets him and gestures to the smaller man next to him. Liam locks eyes with the guy who had cornered him in the bathroom a few days ago. He tries to swallow the lump in his throat.

"It's sad that we never get to meet Zayn's boyfriends, for some reason he always keeps them to himself." The oldest in the room chuckles dryly.

"Z-Zayn isn't my boyfriend." Liam says defensively with a shaking voice.

"Of course he is not, he is just playing with you, like with the others. I mean, he _is_ a _bad_ one, you know. His aura, is to manipulate humans." the man replies with a glint in his eyes that makes Liam's tummy turn.

The brunette sucks his bottom lip between his teeths. "I bet he told you how attractive your smell is, how it lingers in the forest." The man says knowingly, like he had heard these words out of Zayn's mouth a million times. He finishes his performance with a chuckle.

Liam drops his head, it's not like he counted on anything Zayn had ever said to him. He knew he couldn't trust him. And yet he feels, betrayed; he feels cheated on, feels used and worthless. But he keeps a brave face on and looks back up, locking eyes with the man in front of him.

"I don't care what Zayn said to me, I just want to be left alone. So if you don't mind." Liam starts and gets to his feet "I will leave, now" he states. Liam feels sick and a headache kicks in and he just wants to go home and forget about the past week. "Thank you Niall and Harry. Goodbye." Liam tries to say it as sincere as he can. The young man can't find it in himself to force an honest smile before he is leaving the room, he exits the house and steps down the stoned stairs. It's cool outside, too cool for mid summer.

He is about to step over the wooden fence when he hears someone swearing under their breath, it's Lanzo. "Damn it. Should have known they put you on protection." Liam turns around and raises his eyebrow at the man behind him. Lanzo has a hurt expression on his face as he is holding his right hand in his left and rubs on his fingers.

"What do you want from me?" Liam eyes the guy angrily

"My cousin is a player, he always was, he thinks he is _irresistible_ because of his dark _aura._ " Lanzo rolls his eyes with a grin and a cold spark in his eye.

 Liam raises his eyebrow. "Yeah, so are you." He fakes an excessive grin and continues his way  through the forest. He hears Lanzo following him.

"You know, you better stay away from Zayn, not that he gets into more trouble because of you. The eldest always have had a problem with Zayn living outside of our world, and now with all of these weird signals around here, they think Zayn has something to do with it."

Liam laughs dry. "You make it sound like _I_ wanted this, like I asked to know about _this_."

"Of course you didn't. Just make sure you drink what Harry gave you and Zayn won't bother you anymore."

"Good!" Liam replies and steps over stones and fallen trees that are in his way."If you could leave me alone too, then. he grunts.

"Of course, just one more thing." Lanzo says.

Liam turns his head to look over his shoulder. "Charlie is a really good catch, you know. If I were you, I would take the chance. And by the way, the best way to get rid of Zayn is by showing him that you don't want him." He winks.

Liam raises his eyebrow at him.

"You want to get rid of him, don't you?" Lanzo adds with a sparkle in his eyes that leaves Liam uncomfortable behind.

The brunette hadn't noticed that he is back on the campgrounds again. He shakes his head at himself and sighs, why did this happen to _him_?

"Liam!" He hears five different voices call, before five small bodies surround him.

"Are you better now?" Nobu asks worried with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Yeah, much better." Liam smiles and wonders what he had missed.

Charlie waves him over and waits until he is in earshot "Hey, you look much better. I told you, all you need is some sleep." Liam agrees with a nod, even though he has no memory to how he had gotten into the forest in the first place.

"Yes. So, what do you guys want to do?" Liam asks while wiping some hair out of Aalam's face, trying to get on different thoughts.

☼

Zayn throws rocks into the water while watching the waterfall a bit further away. The sound of the water pouring in one steadily motion down the cliff into the pit of water in front of him is calming his nerves a bit. Louis is sitting next to him on a big rock drawing random patterns with a stick into the water. The sound of the waterfall is mixing beautifully with the singing from birds, filling the silence between the two young men.

"What are you guys doing on the other end of the world?"

Louis closes his eyes as his brain registered the voice and sighs as he is turning his body to look at the man behind them. " _Dad_ " Louis whines.

"Son, I have the right to make sure that you are OK."

" _I am_ , dad" Louis sighs.

Zayn turns around too. "With all due respect, Daniel, could you give your son some privacy for once." he complains.

"I do give my son privacy." The man defends himself. The raven haired man rolls his eyes at Louis' father's response. "I just have it in my gut, that feeling, that tells me, you are about to drag my son into your business." Daniel explains and takes another step towards the sitting young men, keeping eye contact with Zayn.

"The reason why we are here, has nothing to do with Zayn," Louis starts and looks down. "It's because of me." he finishes. Louis' dad raises curious his eyebrow.

"Usually you leave with Harry, though." The man points out.

Zayn huffs a breath. "Talking about privacy." he adds quietly under his breath.

Louis opens his mouth but closes it again to think about the right words for a moment. "I just needed some distance between Harry and me." Louis admits then and avoids eye contact.

"Did you two fight?" His dad asks worried.

The younger angel huffs a laugh "No, dad."

"Did he hurt you? Did he do anything?"

"No." Louis shakes his head and watches the grass that is separating him and his dad.

"I am in love with him." Louis says then and sucks his bottom lip between his teeth.

Daniel takes the last steps that are in between him and his son and drops to his knees in front of the young man. Louis' dad lays his hands on his son's shoulder, white wings softly swaying in the wind from the drop behind the man's body. Louis looks up and bites his lip.

"You can't." The man says gentle and yet stern and holds eye contact with his son.

"I know." Louis nods, voice breaking halfway through. "That's why I am here, with Zayn. Zayn is the only one who can keep me away from him."

Daniel breathes heavily through his nose. "If you wouldn't have met _him_ , then I am sure you never would have thought about _this._ " Daniel accuses.

"My sexuality has nothing to do with Zayn, dad." Louis defends his friend.

Daniel presses his eyes closed and takes a few deep breathes.  "No. Don't say that. You are going to marry a beautiful girl, who will love you and give you the opportunity to give our blood to a new generation." He demands. Louis doesn't answer. "This is what Harry has to do, too." the man adds.

Louis furrows his eyebrows in pain and nods. "I know." He agrees.

Louis' dad gets back to his feet. "I can't force you anymore, to come with me, but you know where you can find me." He says before he shoots into the sky and disappears behind the white fluffy clouds.

"Louis, you didnt-" Zayn begins but is cut off.

"I did, Zayn. I needed to. For myself."

"Harry loves you too, you know?" Zayn tries to convince his best friend but fails.

"That doesn't matter," the older one says,"Can we please never talk about this again?" Louis looks at Zayn, pleading to drop the subject.

The other man nods. "Ok."

 Both turn back around, facing waterfall.

Zayn scoots closer to his friend and lays his arm around his friend's shoulder to tuck him into his side. "Is that how you feel with Liam?" Louis wonders and rests his head on the other man's shoulder.

Zayn shrugs. "I don't know how I feel about him." He says honestly.

"Do you want to kiss him?" Louis asks curious and eyes Zayn's mouth.

"I have thought about it, yeah." Zayn admits and wets his lips.

"Why haven't you?"

"I don't want to scare him off."

"You have kissed the others, though." Louis points out and mirrors Zayn's move.

"I did. Because I only cared about myself and not about them." A moment of silence falls between them.

"You know my dad is right." Louis says then.

"With what?" Zayn questions.

"If I wouldn't have met you, I would have stayed with my dad and ended up dating who ever he would have given me."  

"That wouldn't have changed the fact, that you are gay, though." Zayn raises his eyebrow.

"No, you- _you_ were the first boy I ever wanted to kiss, and you let me."

"Of course, I had nothing to lose. You are fit and cute and I had dreamt of your lips a few times after I have met you on the playground for the first time. See, I was just being selfish, again." Zayn rants.

 Louis chuckles. "I am glad you did though, it was nice." he admits.

"It was." Zayn agrees. "We were ten back then, it's been a long time. I should ask Harry if you still kiss like a nun." he teases and flashes a toothy grin over to his friend.

"Why won't you find out yourself?" Louis challenges with a raise of his eyebrow.

 "Louis, your dad already hates me, I-"

"And? Like you said, you have nothing to lose." he challenges.

Zayn drops his eyes to his friend's lips.

"And he saw it the first time too, and it didn't kill him. So this time, won't kill him either." Louis adds and lifts his head off Zayn's shoulder.

"What about Harry?" Zayn asks.

"What about Liam?" Louis asks back.

The younger one sighs. "I haven't gotten off in a while" he gives in.

"And I have been trying to forget the night with Harry." Louis says and sucks his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Is this only because you want to piss your dad off?" Zayn narrows his eyes at his friend who seems to be getting closer each second.

Louis shrugs. "Maybe 25% of it." Louis admits.

Zayn takes a breath in and nods. "Alright, but don't leave me hanging when he is coming for my ass." Zayn raises his finger.

"I won't, promise" Louis chuckles.

Louis closes the distance between their faces, and presses his lips to Zayn's. The younger man humms happily into the kiss.

"You definitely improved, Lou." Zayn chuckles against his friend's lips. Louis climbs on top of Zayn's lap to straddle him. A moment later, the raven haired angel let's himself fall backwards on his back, pulling Louis down with him.

☼

The sun has disappeared from the sky, leaving a pitch black blanket over the city. Liam is laying outside on the grass next to the tent, staring up at the stars. The little dots are shining bright down on him while he is waiting for sleep to come over him, it doesn't happen, though. A lot of different thoughts are running through his head. Zayn, Charlie _and Zayn_.

"Hey," he hears from his right. Liam swallows, but ignores it. He feels anger building in his gut by the sound of the voice. "I wish I could come closer, but-" The voice says softly, with a hint of –something that Liam can't name.

"Shut up." Liam interrupts the person angrily.

"Liam, what-?" the voice says, startled.

"Go away Zayn. Leave me alone" Liam groans.

Zayn takes a sharp breath in, "I just- "

"I don't care, listen, just stay away from me, ok?" Liam says bitter and sits up before turning around to face the other man  who sits a few feet away from him.

"I just wanted to see if you are alright." Zayn whispers confused.

"I don't care, I am fine, now mind your own business." Liam replies cold.

Zayn opens his mouth to say something but a different voice fills the tense air around them.

"Liam?" it's Charlie, she smiles and sits down next to the brunette man, not aware of the other person.

"Tell her to leave." Zayn demands, but Liam ignores him.

"Hey, why are you still up?" The brunette asks Charlie gentlly and keeps his eyes on the girl. Zayn furrows his eyebrows as he watches the other man.

"Can't sleep. I think I can say the same thing for you." She guesses.

Liam smiles. "Yeah, I was actually thinking about you." Liam grins and touches her cheek with his finger.

Charlie giggles. "You did?" she raises her eyebrow surprised and Liam hums in agreement as he leans in closer.

"I'm sorry for being weird, I just-"

" _Liam_ " Zayn says quietly from behind them, pain hearable in his voice.

"It's fine. It's stressful taking care of _annoying_ little kids" she grins.

" _It is_ " Liam agrees, not talking about the sleeping kids in the tent. Liam closes the gap between them and ignores the sharp exhale he hears from behind him.

The sound stings in his heart, but he wants Zayn to leave, he wants him to leave him alone. He doesn't want to be just another one in Zayn's life, like Lanzo had said. He just wants to forget the past days, and _the other world_. It's not good for his health.

And it's –not the best to kiss her, if he is being honest, but it's ok. And it's better than being fooled by a creature that he never thought existed.

Liam turns them, so he is hovering over her. Curious, he peeks a look where Zayn just had been, but the man is gone. Liam breathes out relieved, and connects his lips with Charlie's again.

☼

"I don't understand." Zayn frowns as he sits down on the couch in between Louis and Harry. Niall is squeezing himself between Harry and the end of the couch.

"Zayn, it's good that he is pushing you away, the longer he is here, the stronger his power will become and then my dad will find out about him. And _I_ don't want to know what happens if the eldest find out about Liam and his power." Louis says concerned as he is rubbing his friend's shoulder.

"But I thought he-"

"You thought what, Zayn?" Harry interrupts him and locks eyes with his friend.

"I don't know." Zayn sighs defeated and looks down onto his lap.

"Zayn, think about Liam and how dangerous it would be for him to be here. You can only protect him by being away from him." Niall adds his thoughts.

"Niall is right" Harry agrees.

Louis nods along, his hand now rubbing soothing circles on his best friend's neck.

Zayn drops his head on Louis' shoulder with a sigh and enjoys the moment of warmth from his best friend.

"Wow," Harry chuckles and presses on the red mark that is visible on Zayn's neck from earlier. "Where did Louis take you?" He wonders in awe.

" _Ow!_ " Zayn pouts and bats Harry's hand away. He sits back up and covers his neck with his palm. "Just to some club." he mumbles.

"And, did you have an eye on Louis, too, or were you too busy?" Harry teases and wiggles his eyebrows at the guy next to Zayn. Guilt washes over Zayn as Louis itches insecurely his neck where a red mark is visible, too.

"Nah, you know you are his one and only." Zayn teases with a grin and a wink.

Harry blushes "Shut up, Zayn."

"Anyways, I'll go upstairs and get some sleep. See you guys tomorrow." Louis says and catches Harry's eyes as he passes him on his way towards the door. The younger man raises his eyebrow at him confused as he walks by. Louis throws a goodnight over his shoulder before he disappears out of their sight.

"I'll go to bed too, it's getting late." Harry says and gets up, following his friend out of the room. The two remaining boys on the couch wave the youngest goodbye with a smile.

When Harry is out of the door, Niall sighs deeply next to him. "Let's pray that Harry won't find out, or you and Louis are dead." Zayn hears his own neck crack at the sudden move he makes when turning his head to face the blond one next to him.

"What?" He asks confused.

"If you think that I don't recognize that shape of this mark-" Niall says and pokes the bruise. "Then you are wrong, and maybe dead, too." he narrows his eyes.

"It's not like Louis and Harry are dating." Zayn says quietly after eyeing the door, to make sure Harry is gone.

Niall pats his leg. "If Harry is mixing poison into your tea one day, don't come crying to me." he warns.

Zayn pouts. "It was _Louis'_ idea" he tries to defend himself.

"And _you_ let it happen, even though you know how both of them feel." Niall argues.

Zayn rolls his eyes. "Judge me for having needs, and my best friend too. No big deal."

Niall shakes his head, "This is going to bite you in the ass." he says and gets up too. "Goodnight Zayn. Love you"

"Love you, too" Zayn says back and stares at the turned off TV screen.

A shadow that jumps past the window catches his attention. He raises one eyebrow and gets off the couch. Slowly, he walks over to the window, laying the side of his hands against the window to see better through the dark. He lets his eyes drift carefully through the darkness.

 _There_ , behind a tree on his right, he sees the shadow of a figure. Zayn narrows his eyes and leaves the house through the backdoor, in hope the figure will still be there when he gets there. But the figure is gone, they left a footprint in the ground, though.

Zayn looks around one more time while biting his bottom lip and spreads his wings, he shoots into the sky and flies over to the camp. As he is standing in front of Liam's tent, he lays his hand on the thin wall and feels an electrical shock go through him, "Liam is here." he murmurs to himself and breathes out relieved before shooting into the night sky like a shooting star.

**  
**

#  Day Eight

 

Liam wakes up to voices outside the tent, once he is a bit more awake to recognize the voices, he shoots up in his bed and looks at Aalam's empty bed. He leaves the bed and steps out of the tent, seeing Zayn and Aalam talking in the early morning light.

Liam crosses his arms in front of his chest and furrows his eyebrows. "Aalam." He calls the boy sternly, his voice reminds him of his own dad when he did something that his father hadn't approved of.

The little kid turns around with a bright smile. "I am coming, Liam." He says and looks back up to Zayn. He nods at something the other man tells him and then steps away from him.

Liam watches Zayn while reaching his hand out for the little guy. "Stay here."he tells him quietly and enters the tent again.

He reaches for the golden bottle and holds it tight in his hands while walking back out. Liam walks up to Zayn and sees hope blooming on the other man's face. It washes away quickly though, once Zayn notices Liam's cold eyes. "Here!" He says as cold as the look in his eyes and opens his palm.

Zayn looks down and can't stop that smile that is building on his lips as he sees the wings moving on the golden bottle. "You are one of the direct great grandsons of Liane Payne. It was my pleasure to meet you." He says with an honest smile.

Liam rolls his eyes. "Just take it and take with it everything that has to do with _this._ "

"It is inside of you though, Liam. You might be the last one of your kind who can use their power, you know."

Liam shakes his head and drops the bottle in front of the angel's feet. Zayn leans down to pick it up. "That night you ran into me, what did you see?" he asks curious.

"Nothing." Liam says emotionless and takes a step back.

"Liam." Zayn pleads and reaches his hand out, Liam steps away though and lifts his arms into the air to get away from the other man's touch.

"Just leave me alone." he says and turns around.

Aalam watches them confused. "Aren't you friends anymore?" he frowns when Liam comes closer to him.

"No."

"Can I be friends with him, though?"

Liam shakes his head. "You can keep him in your mind as your friend, but I don't want you to talk to him anymore. Ok?"

Aalam leans to his side to look past Liam, he sees Zayn's back turned towards them. "Zayn, wait!" he calls out and runs towards the young man.

Liam sighs deeply while hoping no one is around to see this. He watches Aalam give Zayn a hug.

"Who is Zayn?" A voice next to him asks confused. It's Charlie.

"Oh, Aalam's invisible, friend. He told me his friend has to leave, because he is a superhero." Liam lies and hopes Charlie believes it.

" _Oh._ " Charlie nods understanding. "That's not easy. I remember when my invisible friend left me, I was heartbroken." she adds.

"I have never had an invisible friend." Liam shakes his head with a fond grin.

"Yeah, because you are _boring._ " Charlie teases and pokes her tongue out. Liam bumps his hips against hers while watching Aalam running back to him. The little boy reaches for Liam's hand and the man takes it and leads him back into the tent without looking back.

☼

The day drags on like a bubble gum, they only just had finished lunch and Liam is playing –or is trying, to play badminton, with his boys. "Alright, guys. Keep trying. You guys are looking good." He smiles satisfied.

His good mood is gone within seconds though as soon as he sees Zayn sitting on the grass close by. He catches his eyes and raises his eyebrow. The angel only grins back at him as the instructor makes his way over.

"You are not supposed to see me right now, you know." Zayn points out and presses his lips together in a thin line.

"Oh, so you planned on stalking me while I don't see you?" Liam raises his eyebrow at him.

"I-I just wanted to see you-" Zayn explains himself.

"You have no reason to." Liam interrupts him with a shake of his head.

The other man opens his mouth to say something when –

"Ow!" Drew suddenly complains, catching Liam's attention. The brunette man sees how Drew is hitting his brother with the bat.

" _Hey_!" He yells over. "If I see you hitting each other with the bat one more time, I will tie you to the tree again!" He eyes the twins angrily, before sitting down next to Zayn, leaving a bit of a space between them while keeping his eyes on the boys though.

"If you want me to teach them a lesson, just say so." Zayn says, Liam can hear the smile in his voice.

"Why are you still here?" he asks.

"Because I live here." Zayn says like it's obvious. Liam sighs.

" _Hey_ , _you_ are the reason why you see me, not me." Zayn smirks.

"But why?" Liam says quietly.

"It's your power, Liam."

"I don't have a _power._ " Liam shakes his head, hoping it is not obvious that he is talking to himself.

"You made the wings move on the bottle, Liam, that is not normal."

"Yeah, I am going crazy, this must be a weird dream."

"Sorry to disappoint." Zayn replies.

Liam can tell, by the way Zayn rolls his eyes and drops his head downwards that Charlie must be on her way over.

"Hey Liam, can I sit?" her voice fills his ears.

"No." Zayn grunts next to him.

"Sure." Liam says and smiles at her while pulling up his knees to his chest.

She mirrors him and bumps her knees against Liam's. "Later is story time in front of the fire, giving us some free time." She says and bites her lip.

"Oh really?" Liam raises teasing his eyebrow.

Zayn makes gagging sounds and lets himself drop backwards on his back.

"Tell her to go, please." Zayn cries.

"My girls want to go to play some Volleyball. I'll see you later." She says more to Zayn's luck and presses a kiss to Liam's cheek. The brunette chuckles and pulls her in for a peck to her lips.

"I'll see you later" He says.

Charlie winks at him before walking away. When Liam turns around to where Zayn just had been, he looks into nothing. No trace left of the other man, other than the smudged grass from where he had sat.

Liam bites his lip and gets to his feet. It's for the better, he tells himself.

☼

Louis opens the door to Harry's magic kitchen, and pokes his head into the room. Like expected, he sees Harry brewing something in the bowl in front of him. "What are you making?" Louis asks and hops onto the table where Harry is facing him with his back. He could have taken one of the chairs that are standing around the table but he prefers table tops.

"A few orders came in, and I am brewing some more for Liam. This drink can only protect him as long as his power isn't getting stronger." He informs. "We can protect humans, but not witches." Harry adds.

"I know." Louis sighs.

Harry turns around, locking eyes with his friend. "Stop giving me that look, Lou." he pleads and drops his eyes from Louis'.

"What do you mean? I see you are being stressed, you know you always stress over things too much"

Harry shrugs. "It runs in the family."

Louis snorts at that.

"It's not that look though, it's a different one." Harry says under his breath while turning around to stir the liquid in the bowl again. Louis can smell frog drool and mint. It's a simple recipe for a throat infection.

"What kind of look do you think it was?" Louis asks curious.

Harry sighs deeply "Forget it Lou."

Louis jumps off the table. "I will." he says irritated and leaves the room.

Zayn meets his friend on his way down the hallway. "Hey, is Harry in his magic kitchen?"

Louis nods absently as a reply and continues walking down the hallway. Zayn turns back around and opens the door. "Can I come in?" he asks careful, with only his head in the room.

"Of course, Zayn." Harry says lightly.

"What did you do with Louis?" Zayn wonders and sets the golden bottle down on the table.

"Nothing." Harry shakes his head and turns around to reach for the bottle.

"Liam moved the wings." Zayn says then.

Harry raises his eyebrow at him. "How? He shouldn't have that much power." he says confused.

"I know, but he did."

Harry sighs. "You do know, that we can only protect humans, the drink I gave him will lose its strength in a matter of time, if his power gets stronger."

Zayn gives a nod as a reply.

"Do you think the signals are coming from Liam?" Zayn thinks out loud.

Harry sits the bottle down on the surface behind him. "I don't know. I don't think his power is that strong to do this." Harry admits.

"But?" Zayn adds.

"He could be lying." Harry says.

Zayn kicks the chair over. "No! If Liam would have had that much power, there is no way Louis would be able to _see_ him."

Harry closes his eyes at the sudden strength of Zayn's voice ringing in his ears.  "Zayn, I don't know. But it is a possibility."

"What would Liam get from messing with me like that?" Zayn argues.

"I don't know!" Harry raises his arms in surrender.

The two man glare at each other for a moment, before Zayn turns on his heels and leaves the room.

Harry shakes his head while turning back around, everyone seems to get mad at him today.

☼

Liam doesn't sleep that night, he can't. The ticking from the clock at home is stuck in his ears. He takes a deep breath and gets up. Maybe a walk will clear his head and let some sleep come over him. He slips on his slippers and leaves the tent. A cool wind hits his face, it's relaxing. He starts walking while listening to an owl calling somewhere in the distance.

" _Liam._ "

He hears, it's not coming from behind him or around him, it comes from the inside of his head. _Zayn_. Liam rubs his forehead with his thumb and pointer finger and turns around.

" _Liam._ "

He hears again, it's getting creepy, if he is being honest. He takes a deep breath and clenches his fists on his side while walking towards the forest.

He is going to kill Zayn as soon as he gets his fingers on his neck.

Liam bites his lip as he enters the forest. He hears more animals, he can't name half of them. He slowly walks deeper into the forest. "I am going to rip your red feathers out one by one." He threatens under his breath.

" _Liam._ "

Liam furrows his eyebrows, somehow the voice sounds different, like Zayn had swallowed a frog. The man hesitates with his next steps.

" _Liam_ "

Liam stops in his way, _this_ just  did not sound like Zayn at all. He turns around on the spot, he is alone. Or, at least he thinks he is.

"Liam!" He hears then, this time from around him.

He looks around, trying to look past the trees that surround him. Then he spots a dark shadow leaning against one of the trees.

"Nice to see you again." Lanzo greets him and steps forward, his red wings are spread behind him. The moon is reflecting on the red feathers, making them sparkle. Lanzo wears a dirty grin on his lips. Liam doesn't feel his heart beating in his chest anymore.

"What do you want from me?" Liam asks, his voice is shaking, so are his legs and his hands.

"My dear cousin really tried to keep a secret from me." The guy says and steps closer. It's only now, that Liam sees the knife that Lanzo is holding in his hand. His eyes widen as he steps backwards.

Lanzo chuckles dry and glares at Liam.

"Z-Zayn." Liam tries to call, but it sounds more like a whimper that fades away and breaks halfway through.

The guy in front of him laughs as he takes another step. "Well, Zayn can't help you now, it's too late, _Payne._ "

Liam continues to walk backwards, he doesn't pay attention to where he is going, the only thing he can think right now is to take a step back every time Lanzo takes one towards him. Liam hits a tree with his back and is cornered, a chuckle is echoing through the night and then the man who was just in front of him is gone.

Liam looks to his left, nothing. He looks to his right, nothing. The heart in his chest starts to beat faster as he tries to take a step forward again. But in that moment a strong arm appears around his throat and keeps him locked against the tree. Liam sees the knife sparkling in the moonlight out of the corner of his eye.

"Zayn!" Liam calls, louder this time. But still not loud enough.

"I'll do it quick, I promise." Lanzo breathes into his ear.

Liam can feel the guy's words on his neck. A cold shower goes down his back at the cold huffs of breath he feels on his too hot skin. He gasps for air as he feels the cold tip of the knife on his pulse point. Liam takes another deep breath and this time, when his voice echos through the dark forest, it equals the call from a wolf. He feels a wave of energy leave his body as he _calls_ for Zayn.

Liam watches the knife dropping to the ground; the strong grip around his neck is gone, too. He turns around quickly walks backwards, away from the tree, not taking his eyes away from the guy on the ground. Liam isn't sure in which direction to run, he doesn't know from where he came from. Right now, he only can manage to walk backwards on wobbly legs, then he crushes into another body.

As strong arms reach around his waist and Zayn's voice fills his ears, Liam relaxes. He doesn't breath, though until he is looking down onto the trees. The moon is still looking as far away as if he was watching from the grass, though.

Neither of them is talking while Zayn is flying them back to the house. Liam expected that Zayn would set him down in front of the house, but he doesn't. He carries him into the house and closes the door with his back before he sets Liam down in front of him in the dark entrance hall. Zayn supports his body with his back against the wood of the door and raises his hands to lay them down on Liam's shoulders.

"Be honest with me," Zayn starts and tries to hold eye contact with the man before him, but Liam keeps his eyes focused on the floor. Zayn brushes his thumbs along Liam's cheeks to get him to look up, and Liam does.

"Did you know about your power?" Brown eyes boring into Liam's.

Liam shakes his head. "I don't –I don't have a power, Zayn." he shakes his head.

"Was it the first time the wings moved when you gave me the bottle?" Zayn demands while his eyes are locked with Liam's.

Liam shakes his head again and looks down.

"How many times?" Zayn asks.

"It was the third…well – " Liam cuts himself off and points upstairs. Zayn narrows his eyes and leads Liam up the stairs. His hand is holding onto Liam's wrists as they are climbing the stairs.

They enter the room that Liam had seen in his dreams, and where he saw the wings move for the first time. Liam frees his wrist from Zayn's hand and rubs the sweat off on his pants before kneeling down in front of the table. He takes a deep breath in and lays his finger onto the angel that is carved into the wood. It starts moving, again.

Liam takes his finger away and looks up at Zayn. It's quiet in the room, other than their breathing and their beating hearts, nothing is heard.

Their eyes are locked and Liam feels a weird feeling in the bottom of his guts, the tension around him is suffocating him, he wants to…touch the angel. But he doesn't have the chance. They hear someone clearing their throat from the threshold. Their heads turn at the same time.

"I have good news and bad news." Louis says and steps into the room, eyes locked with Zayn's. "The good news are, that my dad saw Lanzo trying to kill Liam and banned him to leave _Naporia_. The bad news are-" He begins and lets his eyes jump to Liam. "Your power is getting stronger which means, soon my dad and the others will know about you and there is nothing we can do to protect you." he finishes.

Liam's eyes jump between Zayn's and Louis'. "This is –ridiculous. I-" Liam says but cuts himself off and drops his eyes.

"Liam, you have to go back to camp and act like you have before you knew about this. If the eldest find out about you, then-"

Liam opens his mouth but closes it again. He takes another moment to look back and forth between the two angels.

"Great." He says sarcastic and stomps past Zayn. "First you drag me into this, and now you tell me that I am basically dead."  

"You are not going to die." Zayn says and reaches for Liam's arm.

It hurts, it's a strong grip, Liam can feel how his blood is unable to flood through his arm.

"You are _not_. I won't let it happen." Zayn says and forces Liam to look at him. "I'll get you back to camp, Lanzo won't come back and no one but us knows about this. Stay away from the forest and you will be fine."

Liam swallows, keeping his thoughts _but I don't think I can stay from you_ to himself, and steps out of Zayn's hold as the other man loosens his grip. When Zayn follows Liam, Louis holds him back.

"Zayn, if Niall's aunt-"

"I shit on predictions." Zayn spits and follows the younger man.

Louis sighs and turns around, following the other two down the stairs. "I think Niall should bring him back to camp." he suggests.

Liam bites his lip and locks eyes with Zayn who nods.

The boy in question comes into the entrance hall, white wings spread behind his back. He smiles at Liam and pats his back in reassurance. Harry joins them in the hall, too and sighs.

Liam feels weird, he feels like this is only the beginning of something bigger; of something more dangerous. He has a feeling that whatever they are trying to protect him from, will be the least of his problems soon.

Liam doesn't know what to say or do, so he just follows Niall through the door and into the dark night outside. Niall picks Liam up and flies him back to camp, they don't talk. Liam tries to shield his face from the wind by pressing his face into Niall's neck and closes his eyes.

☼

"What now?" Louis asks the remaining two in the room and bites his bottom lip.

Louis and Zayn let their eyes wander over to Harry who sighs. "I don't know. Hoping that his power won't get stronger would be a start." He says, but he doesn't sound convinced. Zayn clenches his fists before storming out of the house. Louis follows after him and finds him leaning against a tree.

"This is all my fault. If I wouldn't have taken him inside that night then-" Zayn starts.  

"Then what?" Louis asks.

Zayn breathes harder, "I don't know!"

"I promise you, that we all will do anything to protect him _and you._ "

"How does his power even get this strong _after_ 900 years." Zayn sighs hopeless.

Louis doesn't answer right away, he doesn't have one. "I don't know. Maybe it's the place, maybe the house." Louis suggests.

"Do you think by finding the source, we can stop it?" Zayn questions.

Louis shrugs. "I guess so, yeah."

Before Louis even could finish, Zayn walks past him back into the house. "Harry!" Louis hears Zayn calling for the other man in the distance.

The carrier sighs and lets his mind go to Liam, he is sitting with the his boys underneath a tree and Niall is not far behind. A relieved smile spreads over his lips before he follows Zayn back into the house and closes the door behind himself.         

☼

Harry is leaning over the table, arms clenched as his eyes fly over the text in the book that is laying in front of him. There needs to be _something_ , _anything_ , that could be helpful. He doesn't acknowledge the door that opens quietly behind him, he doesn't acknowledge the two soft hands that start to massage his tense shoulders, he doesn't.

"Take a break, H." Louis says softly.

"It's half past 3am. Sleep a bit."

Harry doesn't respond. He quietly whispers out loud what he reads and the more Louis massages his shoulder the slower his reading becomes, before too long he sighs and drops his head in surrender while closing his eyes.

"If we only knew about how much Niall's aunt is right." Harry whispers.

"Stop thinking about it, Harry. Just for a few minutes." Louis says quietly and stops massaging Harry's shoulder, he lowers his hands and lays them around Harry's middle instead. "We'll figure something out." he promises and turns the other man around. He locks eyes with Harry and smiles. "Give your brain cells a break, I brought hot chocolate and cookies with me." He smiles and gestures with his head to a tray with two cups and a plate of cookies.

Louis wants to step away to reach for the hot chocolate but firm hands on his waist stop him. Louis catches his breath and locks his eyes with Harry's while biting a smile away. He asks a question with his eyes and all Louis gets as an answer are fingers digging into his T-shirt and arms pulling him forward, then their lips touch.

Louis hums into the kiss and opens his mouth for Harry's tongue.

Before long Harry pulls away, the younger boy lowers his eyes and presses his lips together in a thin line. Louis bites his bottom lip and steps to the side. "Here is the hot chocolate." He says and hands Harry a cup. The younger one takes it with a quiet thank you and walks across the room to the couch. Louis follows him, with the plate of cookies and his own hot chocolate in his hand. They sit down next to each other and drink in silence.

☼

Liam lays awake in his bed, he keeps turning from one side to the other, kicking the blanket off of him and then reaches for it a few moments later. With a sigh, he sits up in his bed and reaches for his shoes. Quietly he leaves the tent and takes a deep breath in, he is facing the forest, it looks like any other forest. The tree's are building a wall, in their shadows are hiding animals in hope they won't be seen. Owls are calling and crickets chipper.

Liam bites on his lip as he watches the trees. The urge is strong to follow the familiar way to the house, the urge is strong to see Zayn again, to be around him. But he can't. _He can't_. Liam sits down on the cold ground and pulls his legs to his chest before resting his forehead on his knees. He needs to stay away from there, no matter how much he longs for Zayn. Which is ridiculous. Liam is not into _angels_.

"Hey, can't sleep?" A voice says, while arms are holding his middle, a body is pressed against his back and a chin is resting on his shoulder.

Liam gives a small smile. "Yeah." he answers and tilts his head to the side, as he feels lips pressed to his neck. He closes his eyes and enjoys the soft kisses.  

"You know, I am really getting sad knowing that we won't be able to continue this once camp is over." The voice says and starts to nibble on the soft skin.

"Me too." Liam giggles and turns around to face Charlie. He leans forward then, and kisses her rough. She giggles against his mouth before Liam gives her a gentle push to her chest, so she falls backwards on the ground. He climbs on top of her, his knees are resting on the ground next to her body while he leans back down to connect their lips.

She slips her hands underneath Liam's T-shirt and tries to pull it off. Liam pulls away, though. "Not here." He says and gets to his feet while his eyes are wandering over the forest. A weird feeling is spreading out in his guts as he feels Charlie's hand in his and runs with her across the grounds.

No matter how hard he tries, no matter how hard he tries to focus on _her_ , Zayn won't leave his mind.  

**  
**

#  Day Nine

 

"Liam, look how tall I am!" Nobu giggles while he is walking on stilts.

Liam smiles. "You are taller than me now." he says excited.

Nobu tries to catch Devin as both of them giggle while almost running on the wooden sticks. The twins are more interested in using the sticks as swords though and Liam decided to leave them alone after telling them to be careful and not to break them. It's not worth it, honestly. Liam walks over to Aalam whom is more interested in drawing. He is drawing Zayn again, with wings.

Liam picks up one of the crumbled papers. "This is really good." He says encouraging.

"No, I can't draw that one line." Aalam says frustrated.

Liam sighs. "This looks amazing." The man tries again to get that pout off the younger boy's lips.

"Take the pencil." a too familiar voice says as a body sits down next to him. Zayn. "Can I try?" Liam asks Aalam, being aware of the heat next to him, feeling the weight from Zayn's leg against his. Aalam nods and hands Liam the paper and the pencil.

Liam wets his lips in concentration, and then Zayn leans over, laying his arm around Liam's shoulder so he can lay his hand over Liam's to lead the pencil. "Keep your hand relaxed." The words hit Liam's neck, unknowingly he leans into Zayn. He feels warm inside when Zayn's hand is on his. He likes the touch, likes the feeling in his stomach, likes Zayn's smell.

He drops his eyes from the paper and watches Zayn out of the corner of  his eyes. The angel wears a soft smile on his lip, tongue between his teeth as his eyes follow the pen on the paper.

Aalam's happy cheer pulls Liam back. "This is great Liam, thank you!" he beams and takes the paper and pencil back to himself.

"You are a great artist, _Liam_." Zayn teases then, dropping his hand from his shoulder, but keeping it behind Liam on the ground. "You had a good night?" Zayn asks then with a sour tone in his voice. Liam bites on his lip, the word sorry is lingering on his lips before Zayn adds. "It's good. Keep yourself busy."

There is so much Liam wants to say, but it would look weird if he would suddenly say _It felt so wrong though, I couldn't think of anything else but you, is this part of the curse you are on that you are irresistible to me?_ to himself.

"Charlie look, Nobu and me are taller than you!" Devin suddenly starts laughing. Liam swallows, feels Zayn tensing next to him, he wants to reach for Zayn's hand, to keep him here but Charlie drops down on his lap and presses a kiss to his lips.

"You know we'll get in trouble if we do this in front of the kids." Liam responses, Charlie shrugs and giggles and leans in for another kiss.

Zayn clenches his hands into fists. When he gives Charlie another look, his heart stops in his chest –She is looking at him.

It happens so fast though, that Zayn isn't sure. He disappears as fast as he had come. Liam pulls away when he feels the warmth from Zayn gone from his side.

☼

Zayn feels a headache shoot into his head as he enters the house. He smells chicken coming from the kitchen and ducks his head into the room where Niall is wiggling his bum to the beat that comes out of the radio. Zayn chuckles. "Looking good." he teases.

Niall turns around and barks a laugh. "Shut up, it's chicken day today." he says excited.

"It smells really good." Zayn agrees fondly.

"Do you know if we still have a headache killer?" Zayn questions.

"Not in the aid cabinet, but I think Harry still has a few bottles in the magic kitchen." He replies.

Zayn gives him a thankful smile and steps down the hall to the library where Harry had disappeared in yesterday evening.

"H?" Zayn says while opening the door, his eyes land on Louis who is sitting on the couch with a sleeping Harry in his lap. Louis shushes him quietly and drops his eyes back into the book in front of him. " _Aww_ "  Zayn coo's quietly and wiggles his eyebrows as he makes his way over to his best friend.

The older boy glares at him, "Shut up."

Zayn chuckles and presses a kiss to Louis' head. "What are you reading?" he questions and supports his weight with his arms on the backrest of the couch behind Louis.

"History. Harry has been trying to figure something out, the only way I got him to sleep was by promising him to read this and wake him up when I find something."

Zayn nods and smiles at the sleeping man. Louis closes the book and lets his eyes drop to the man on his lap, too. Carefully, Louis lets his hand wander into Harry's messed up curls.

Zayn sighs. "Alright, I'll leave you two to whatever is happening here." he says and crosses the room to leave through the door. He is making his way downstairs into Harry's magic kitchen to get something to subside the pain in his head.

☼

Louis watches Harry who is still asleep on his lap. He can feel every breath from the younger man, feels the heat on his fingertip when he allows himself to use his index finger to  draw along the line on Harry's forehead.

He sees the furrow of the man's eyebrow when he is waking up. "Lou?" He whispers, eyes blinking open.

"Yeah?" Louis asks quietly, his finger is still moving over Harry's forehead.

"Don't stop." Harry pleads, eyes locked with Louis'.

"I won't." Louis promises and Harry smiles at him before he closes his eyes again.

"How long did I sleep?" the younger man asks then, voice still sleepy.

"About two hours." Louis replies with a gentle smile.

Harry sighs exhausted and reaches his arms around Louis' waist so he can nuzzle his face into Louis' stomach.

"You are a morning cuddler." the older angel points out lovingly.

"You know that." Harry says into the fabric of Louis' shirt.

"I do." the other man chuckles softly.

"Have you found out anything?" Harry asks then to change the subject and sits up; the younger one doesn't move from his spot though, their faces are only a few inches apart.

"The book keeps mentioning a place in the forest where _a tree comes to life and has grown to sacrifice its life for the witches’ children._ " Louis recites that one sentences he has read over a hundred times in the past hours. Harry's face turns blank for a moment, he blinks at Louis. The older guy can see Harry's brain cells working.

Harry narrows his eyes " _A place that is always lit up by the sun or moon._ " He mumbles under his breath.

Louis raises confused his eyebrow but doesn't look away from his friend. "And what does that mean?" Louis questions, voice low.

" _A place where the family reunites to celebrate._ " Harry continues without acknowledging Louis and gets off the couch. He takes a few quick steps across the room to the table where a couple dozen books are still laid out from the early morning. " _A place where the ashes live_. _A place where her soul lives until-_ "

" _until the curse has killed the bad_ " Louis finishes. History class, year 12. He remembers.

"It's where the witch's ashes are." Harry exclaimed.

"You mean her grave?" Louis questions.

Harry shakes his head. "She never got buried, her ashes were carried away by the wind." he says eager and reaches for a book.

" _A place where the ashes had come together to rest for an unknowingly amount of time._ " Harry reads out loud out of the book.

"And where is it?" Louis asks confused.

" _A place that is always lit._ " Harry repeats from earlier and turns around to face Louis. He is locking eyes with the older man infront of him.

Louis furrows his eyebrows while thinking outloud " _Lingmell_ , also known as _Luminous._ " Louis says careful, putting one and one together.

"And how does Lingmell come to its nickname?" The curly haired one asks encouraging, knowing the answer already but wanting Louis to figure it out too.

 "There is only _one_ place in _this_ city that is always lit." Harry continues, he is only a few inches away from Louis' face, their exhales mingle together in front of them.

"The hill north-west." Louis says.

Harry grins. "Exactly." he says and steps away from the table and out of the room. Louis follows him.

"We have found something!" Harry informs Zayn and Niall, the two are in the kitchen, talking while waiting for the chicken to get done.

Zayn jumps off the kitchen island "And?" He questions.

"The hill north-west. The witch's ashes have let a tree grow that will protect Liam." Harry answers.

"So if anything happens then-" Zayn starts.

"Then we will bring him there." Harry assures.

"What if it doesn't work, though?" Zayn asks worried.

Harry shrugs. "We'll have to see."

Zayn sighs "Do you think the hill is the cause for the boost of his power?"

"Possible." Louis replies with a shrug.  

☼

All four men are spending the afternoon in the library. "What exactly are we looking for now?" Niall asks, hovering a few feet over the floor to reach the top book shelf.

"I don't know." Louis' voice echos through the room

"Anything." Harry says.

"According to my aunt, the chosen descendant will cause war in our world, the angels won't be the only ones who will try to – get him." Niall says and floats back to the ground.

"Who says that Liam is the chosen one, though?" Zayn argues.

"The signals Louis' dad was talking about, Zayn. I don't think that there is any other explanation for it." Harry replies.

 "The same is for his power, there is nothing that could have made them stronger by itself." Louis says gentle, finishing the other man's sentence.

Zayn inhales a deep shaking breath. "Well then, he needs to learn how to use his power, so he can fight."

"And how do you plan on teaching him?" Niall asks curious.

Silence.

"I think I know how." Harry says then and walks towards the door. Three pairs of eyes follow him out of the room.

Niall and Zayn share a look and then both look at Louis in sync. "I have no idea where he is going." the oldest of them shrugs.

The raven haired angel follows his friend out of the room a few moments later, he leaves the house and spreads his wings before he shoots towards the sky. He flies over to the camp and lands next to a tree. He smiles when he watches Liam  chasing his boys around while his laughter is mixing with five other laughs in his ears.

He looks around, trying to find Charlie, she is nowhere to be seen, though. Zayn sighs relieved.

☼

Liam wakes up, it's still dark around him and the silence let's him know that it is still too early to get up. He reaches for his phone to check the time. It's _02:26am_. He sighs and lays back down, he turns onto his side and faces the tent wall. Liam smiles when he catches a shadow with wings, Liam gets off the bed and makes his way out of the tent. As he walks around the tent though, he sees nothing. He furrows his eyebrow and turns around. No one to be seen.

He pokes his tongue out a bit, thinking whether to enter the forest and to maybe cross ways with Zayn or to stay here. Suddenly he hears a cry from the forest. Before he can think about it, his feet are taking big and fast steps into the darkness in front of him.

Another cry fills the night. Liam stops in his track to think about from which direction it could have come from.

" _Help!_ " is what Liam hears next. He turns right, the screams are coming from a girl. The voice sounds a lot like Charlie's. Liam continues running, with every cry, he runs into a different direction.

He runs and falls over a root on the ground, when he looks up, he feels a deja vu hitting him. _This place_ , Liam had been here when Lanzo had called him. He quickly gets back to his feet, looking around alarmed while he is waiting to think of what to do next.

Suddenly he hears another cry and then Charlie comes falling into his sight.

"Charlie!" he calls out distressed and runs over to her.

"L-Liam?" She says with shaking voice.

"What happened?" He asks worried and helps her up, she is supporting her weight on his shoulder.

"I- I wanted to go the bathroom and then- and then _it_ grabbed me from behind!" She cries, tears are soaking her cheeks.

"What grabbed you?" Liam asks curious and rubs her shoulders.

"I don't know, it looked like a boy but it had wings, _red_ wings, and-" She hiccups.

"There was a house in the middle of the forest, when he let me down- I- somehow I could free myself from his grip to run  away and-" She rambles in between her sobs, her hands are shaking as she is holding onto his arms.

Liam feels anger bubbling inside of him. "Come on, I'll bring you back to camp." he says emotionless and holds Charlie closer to his chest.  They make their way back through the forest and Liam bites angrily on his lip. This went too far. Zayn will regret this.

☼

Louis crawls out of his room on all fours and towards Harry's. The throbbing headache in his head is shutting down his entire brain. Nothing but darkness, nothing but pain, nothing but the thought to get to Harry's as quickly as possible.

"Harry" Louis calls out weak, pain hearable in his voice.

He opens the door to his friend's room. "Har-" Louis forces out but cuts himself off to let out a scream. It's a sting, like someone stabbed his brain with a dagger.

"Lou-?" He hears Harry's voice in the dark, thick with sleep and then he feels a hand on his shoulder. "Louis?" The older one hears in the distance, his vision gets blurry before it gets dark, then he feels his body falling to the side, hitting the floor.

"Lou?" He hears Harry calling for him while panicking, he feels Harry's hands on his naked upper body, feels the breath from the younger man hit his face; another sting attacks his brain and then the pain is gone, and so is Harry's touch on his skin.

Louis sees black but he can hear faceless voices around him. He feels himself being carried away in strong arms, he doesn't feel the touch, though. But he   _needs_ to feel Harry's touch, _right now_.

Louis is too exhausted to focus on the words that are being exchanged around him. So he just lets go and lets himself fall into a silent and numb darkness.

☼

"Louis!" Harry cries out, more in anger than anything else, and claps with his palm against the passed out man's cheek. "Louis! Don't fuck with me!" he hiccups and lets his head drop on top of Louis' chest.

Niall and Zayn come running into the living room with their arms loaded with bottles.

"Has he moved?" Zayn asks and spreads the bottles out on the floor.

"No." Harry says, his voice muffled by Louis collarbone. "But his heart’s still beating." He adds.

"Harry. Louis needs you, now. We brought you everything we could find." Niall says gently and lays his hand comforting on his younger friend's shoulder.

Harry sits up and wipes his tears away. He takes a shaking breath in and looks around. "I need an empty cup." Harry instructs and watches  Louis' lifeless body on the couch. Niall is keeping his hand on Harry's shoulder for support while Zayn disappears out of the room.

"Here." Zayn is back in in less than five seconds and hands Harry the cup who reaches for it without a word. The other two are watching as Harry mixes some of the bottles, it feels like they are watching him for hours, but every time they take a nervous look to the clock only the second viewer has moved.

"Open his mouth." Harry instructs then after five long minutes. Zayn positions Louis' head and Niall opens his mouth as Harry drops a bit of the liquid into his mouth. The three boys watch the oldest one. Nothing happens, though.

 "Come on!" Harry says and watches Louis. "Fucking idiot!" Harry yells and beats with his fists against Louis' chest.

"Haz." Zayn says calm. "At least give him a minute." he adds and holds Harry's hands in his own.

" _Urr._ " A quiet voice cuts through the silence. Immediately the three men hover over  the couch.

"Lou." Harry says and wipes over Louis' face as the man tries to open his eyes.

"My chest hurts." Louis says weakly.

Harry blushes as the other two bite their lips to prevent the relieved and amused chuckles that are bubbling in their throats.

"Anything else? What happened" Harry asks in a mixture of worry and wanting to change the subject.

"Everything was black suddenly, I can't _see_ anymore, Haz. My power is gone." He says weakly, panic is visible in his eyes. Zayn and Niall share a confused look.

Harry furrows his eyebrows "Sleep some, may-"

"Louis!" Daniel interrupts Harry as he is running into the room. He locks eyes with his son for a moment before he takes big steps towards Zayn. The raven haired angel takes a few steps backwards until he hits the wall.

" _Dad!_ " Louis whispers, too weak to talk louder.  

"Someone stole the _eye_ , Louis. And I know that _he_ has something to do with it!" His dad explains, eyes boring accusingly into Zayn's.

Niall, Harry and Louis exchanged confused looks.

"Stop accusing Zayn for everything, dad. He has nothing to  do with this." Louis says confident.

Daniel shakes his head and narrows his eyes at the man pressed against the wall.

"The eye got stolen? How?" Niall chimes in confused. Daniel shrugs and faces the blond man.

"I don't know."

"Maybe it was the other thing. I felt that it got stronger, maybe it has something to do with it." Louis suggests.

"Maybe" Daniel sighs.

"And what happens now? Without the eye, we can't see." Louis says and opens his mouth for Harry to drop some more of the drink into his mouth.

"I have to go back. But I will come back." Daniel says and locks eyes with Zayn one more time before he leaves.

Zayn takes a deep breath and lets himself sink down to the floor. "I think Niall's aunt is right." he says then. Louis, Harry and Niall look at him. "The war has started" He says. "And it is my fault."

"Do you think Liam stole the eye?" Harry asks confused.

Zayn shakes his head "I don't know."

Silence.

"Niall, what did your aunt say? What does the prediction say?" Louis questions.

" _In a couple years a child will find their way back home. Power flooding through their blood, just as powerful as it once was. A soul will find their way into the cursed heart. Good and bad will collide, both can't win. The child is valuable; danger is hiding behind every cloud, every tree, every waterfall."_  Niall recites. " _At the end, it will be the cursed holding the dagger._ " He adds quietly.

Zayn bites his lip, ignoring the last part. "Do you think the stolen eye has something to do with it? Someone's trying to get their hands on Liam?"

"Could be. They banned Lanzo from crossing the barrier between the worlds" Harry says.

"And they would have banned everyone else who would have gone after a human." Niall adds.

"So the angels don't know about Liam, yet." Louis says.

"It's almost like someone tried to keep the angels away from him." Niall sighs.

"The question is if it's for better or for worse." he adds.

"He needs to learn how to protect himself." Zayn states and rubs his forehead.

"One good thing came out of the stolen eye, though. We can train with Liam without being seen." Louis says then.

Zayn hides his face in his palm. "What if it's too late, though?"

"Don't worry Zayn, we'll do everything we can to protect your very own fairytale" Louis teases.

Zayn shows him the finger. The man on the couch laughs. "Your story will be in history books _'The cursed angel and the witch's son_ '. " Niall says amused.

" _The story about Zayn and Liam. Not even the hatred from our ancestors can come between us._ " Harry chimes in.

" _Pillowtalk: My ancestor murdered yours._ " Louis snorts.

Zayn claps all three of them on the back of their heads without using his hands. He usually doesn't use his _dark_ magic, but he feels this was appropriate now.   

☼

Liam is fiddling with his fingers; his head’s a mess and his eyes are too heavy to keep open but he can't sleep. He feels anger in every vein in his body, with every breath he feels like he is breathing fire – with every inhale he is breathing in burning fire and with every exhale he is breathing out smoke.  Liam furrows eyebrows, it _does_ smell burnt in here.

He looks around in the tent, sees his boys fast asleep on their beds. He smiles for a moment before he spots a smoking cloud building in front of his nose. Liam's heart beats faster and faster and the more and harder his heart beats in his chest the more smoke is leaving his nostrils.

Liam reaches for his bottle of water and jumps out of bed. He leaves the tent as quietly and fast as he can. As Liam opens his mouth to take a big gulp of his water a big cloud of smoke leaves his throat. He starts coughing and maybe that is his end. There is a fire inside of his body, he is going to burn alive. With every cough a darker cloud comes out, the last thing that is missing right now is the fire. Liam coughs again, he is scared to breath in. He drops to the cool ground and waits for his end.

Then, he hears someone land next to him. He can see white feathers through the cloud of smoke around him. "Liam." a soft voice says.

"Breath, the smoke isn't going to hurt you." A gentle hand is being laid down on his forehead.

Liam takes a deep shaky breath. "Yeah, good, another one." The voice says and Liam takes another one, he breathes out fewer smoke this time. "And another one." The voice repeats gentle. Liam takes one more breath and this time the exhale is clear. Liam's heart calms down in his chest.

He looks up and sees Niall kneeling next to him on the grass. "Come, sit back up." The angel says and pulls Liam up on his hands into a sitting position. Liam folds his legs into a pretzel and supports his weight on his legs with his elbows.  "Thank you." he says, then.

Niall smiles. "You should be more careful with your emotions now."

Liam sighs and stands up. "I better go and try to get some sleep." he adds.

Niall nods and raises his eyebrow. "Is everything alright?"

Liam shakes his head. "Nothing has been alright since I met _him._ "  

Niall gives a sympathetic look and stands up as well. "You should get some sleep, you look like you need some." He says.

Liam nods "Yeah, I'll try."

Niall gives him a weak smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight" Liam replies and disappears in the tent. He lays down in his fold bed and pulls the blanket up to his chin, then he closes his eyes.

***

Liam felt a touch on his cheek. A soft finger was drawing a random pattern on his skin. He blinked and turned to his side, a soft female giggle is filled his ears.

"I know you are awake" the voice said.

Liam opened his eyes, he is back in the same room he saw the angel wings move for the first time. A beautiful young woman was smiling at him. Raven hair, so long it was disappearing underneath the blanket. Brown soft eyes, that reminded Liam of Zayn's.

"The sun is almost gone. I have to go before my dad gets home." She said and pressed a kiss to his lips. Liam kissed back.

"I'll see you around Leeroy." She said and left the bed. The young woman stepped in front of the window. Liam notices that her hair tips are covering her bum. Suddenly a pair of white wings appeared out of her back. She looked over her shoulder to the bed one more time before she jumped _._

***


	3. Chapter 3

#  Day Ten

 

Liam is leaving the sleeping tent with his boys the next morning. The kids are all talking at once, telling him what they want to do during the day.

"Ok, let's have breakfast and hear what Jen has planned for today, then we can decide, alright?" he suggests, trying to get the mixed chatter from his boys under control. The kids agree and enter the dining tent.

_"Psst, Liam."_

Liam ignores it, ignores _him_. He took it too far yesterday kidnapping Charlie. Actually, Zayn took it too far that second he had entered Liam's life without asking for permission.

" _Liam._ " Zayn tries again, alarmed this time and follows him into the tent but the other man continues to ignore him.

"Good morning, Charlie." Liam greets the girl instead and rubs comforting her back with his thumbs. "Do you feel better?" He asks quietly while leaning forward so she is the only one who can hear him.

"Yeah." She sighs relaxed and leans her weight against Liam's body behind her. She turns her head and presses a thankful kiss to his cheek.

A cold hush of wind hits Liam's side where Zayn just had been; he will deal with him later, but first he needs to eat something. The young man sits down between Charlie and Aalam and reaches for a bun when he hears Zayn's voice again.

" _Liam, I am waiting behind your tent._ " the words sound like an echo inside of his head, like it had at their first encounter. " _I have to talk to you, this is important._ " he adds.

Liam presses his lips to a thin line and clenches his fists. The last thing he wants right now is to talk to him. Then, a soft hand is unclenching his left, Charlie.

"Liam." She says concerned with a furrowed eyebrow and asks a silent question with her eyes.

The man takes a deep breath and stands up. "I'll use the bathroom real quick." he excuses himself and steps over the sitting bench. He locks eyes with Charlie one more time before he turns around and leaves the dining tent.

A million thoughts are running through his mind. He feels all kinds of emotions flooding through his body all at once. Liam's hands are getting sticky as he makes his way over to his sleeping tent. His thoughts are jumping from 'Stay away from my girlfriend' to 'Find someone else to play with' and for a short moment he thinks about kissing the fucking curse out of Zayn, but he gets rid of the last thought immediately.

The closer Liam gets to the tent, the faster his steps become. He crosses the corner of the tent to reach the back side where he sees Zayn. The brunette is walking straight towards the angel, the anger he feels is mirrored on his face. Liam tries to get Zayn to walk backwards so he can corner him against the tent but Zayn is standing like rock on his two feet without moving a single muscle.

The angel is standing on both of his feet and watches Liam confused. "What the fuck bit you during the night?" Zayn asks then, his voice is sounding pretty calm despite the curse word he used.

Liam tries again to get him to walk backwards but the man doesn't move one millimeter. " _Me_? I could ask you same!" Liam yells furious and takes a step away from the man in front of him.

Zayn narrows his eyes "Would you please be more specific?"

" _More specific_?" Liam huffs and turns around, he is done with _him_ , done with _what_ he is and his _crazy_ world.

"Your cousin was right!" Liam mumbles while crossing the corner of the tent to get back to finish his breakfast; he isn't going to waste his time here.

" _My_ -" Zayn starts but cuts himself off and reaches for Liam's arm.

" _What the_ \- let me go!" Liam screeches and tries to free his arm from Zayn's grip, with no avail, though.

The angel turns Liam around easily, so they are face to face again. Liam swallows thickly. "What did he say about me?" Zayn asks puzzled, holding eye contact.

"He said that you manipulate people. And he is right." Liam says cold, focusing his eyes on the nothing behind Zayn.

" _Me_? _Manipulative_? Don't you see that _he_ did that with _you_?" Zayn argues and lets Liam go. " _Who_ saved you from him?" Zayn questions raging.

"That doesn't matter anymore. Just stay away from Charlie." Liam says disappointed.

" _Charlie_?" Zayn raises confused his eyebrow.

Liam takes a step backwards. "Just leave me and her alone and find someone else you can play your little games with." Liam says upset and walks back to the dining tent without turning around.

☼

Zayn hits some furnitures on his way into the house, his red wings are still spread angrily behind himself and the way his feathers dance in the wind by the rush he is in. "Did you lose another flying competition against a bird?" Louis asks amused as Zayn stumbles into the living room; his eyebrows are still furrowed.

"No, it's Liam" He groans. He hears an knowing - _Ah_ \- from the two men on the couch, they don't sound surprised.

Harry turns the TV off and scoots away from Louis so Zayn can sit down in between them. Zayn sighs while dropping down in their middle.

"Did you see him and Charlie making out again?" Harry asks careful.

"He yelled at me saying that Lanzo was right about me being _manipulative._ " Zayn rambles, ignoring Harry's question. He lets his head drop onto Louis' shoulder and sighs. "Everytime I think I am making a step forward with him, he pushes us five steps back."  he continues.

"Maybe you should try and be just friends with him." Harry suggests.

"No, Liam is mine. She needs to stay away from him." Zayn pouts and plays with one of his feathers that has fallen onto his lap.

Niall enters the room, his white wings spread. The feathers move in sync and calm in the wind with each step the man takes. "Talking about Liam, whatever you did, it made him that angry, he exhaled smoke yesterday." Niall informs his friends and locks eyes with Zayn.

"You went to see him yesterday?" Zayn asks with a frown, his voice raw with jealousy.

Niall holds his arms up in defense, his white feathers start  moving nervously back and forth. "On my way home yesterday night I saw smoke coming out of Liam's tent, no biggie." Niall explains collected.

"No biggie? Someone could have set a fire in that tent." Zayn glares at him.

"That's why I landed to check." Niall replies calm.

Zayn sighs and drops it, it's not worth it. "He only yelled at me, and I still don't know what I did." he finishes defeated.

"I am sorry." Louis sighs and lets his head drop backwards.

"What are you sorry for?" Harry asks offended, taking it personal whenever Louis blames himself for something.

"I am useless without the eye. I can't- I wish-" Louis starts but cuts himself off.

"Louis," Zayn says stern, "This is not your fault." he adds.

"I could have helped you, though. So you would at least know why Liam is mad at you"

"How about Zayn just asks Liam like a normal person would." Niall proposes.

"I tried that." Zayn responds.

"Well, then try again, he has to come here anyways. Liam isn't safe on his own out there. His power is getting stronger and now that I can't see what is happening out there anymore, he might be in greater danger than we think." Louis stresses.

"Have you heard anything from your dad because of the stolen eye?" Harry wonders, eyes locked on Louis.

The oldest of them shakes his head, "No. Whoever has it, has a plan." he says worried.

"Yeah, I need to get Liam." Zayn says determined and gets to his feet.

☼

Liam is sitting on a red-white outdoors mat with his boys and Charlie. His legs are folded like a pretzel and his elbows are laying relaxed on his knees. Drew is standing on the grass in front of them, pretending to be…something or someone. Liam can't quite tell, actually no one can. Liam narrows his eyes and switches his sitting position to leaning backwards, supporting his weight with his hands on the mat.

"Can you maybe add something to your performance?" Liam wonders.

"Or maybe you could make a sound." Aalam adds.

"Good idea, Aalam." Liam points out and focuses his eyes back on Drew who is only touching the ground with his hands and his feet; his stomach is facing the ground.

Drew trumpets and then six voices echo e _lephant_ in unison.

"Yes!" Drew says excited and laughs.

"Good one!" Charlie cheers.

"I wanted to make a snout too, but I didn't know how to." Drew pouts and sits down next to his brother again.

"Oh, I know how you can make one." Nobu says delighted. "Use either of your hands and take your nose between your thumb and your index finger and shove your other arm through the hole –like this. Make sure your elbow is laying ontop of your inner elbow." Nobu says and demonstrates it.

Immediately the other boys follow Nobu's lead and start to trumpet over the camp grounds. The kids jump up and start chasing each other while running around with elephant snouts. Liam watches them with crinkles by his eyes and loud laugh coming out of his mouth.

"Now Liam is the catcher!" Devin yells and all five boys face the young man while taking steps away from him with big smiles on their faces. Liam jumps up and makes an elephant snout, too and starts chasing his boys who scream with joy. Liam catches them one by one and carries them back to the mat.

Julian is the last one he has to catch.

"You'll never catch me!" Julian sticks his tongue out and runs.

Liam laughs and runs after him, "I'll catch you".

"Neverrrrr" Julian laughs and continues to run, he is getting closer to the forest.

Liam runs after him, his breathing is becoming heavier but he won't give up. He chases Julian past their tent and towards the first row of trees.

"Time out!" Liam pants and rests his hands against his knees while leaning forward to breath.

"Are you giving up?" Julian grins amused and leans his back against a tree.

"Nope!" Liam grins and runs towards Julian, he doesn't come far though, something catches his attention and he stops a few feet away from the kid.

Liam sees a little _something_ coming out behind the tree, he is watching it as it follows another one towards a bush. Liam narrows his eyes and tries to get a closer look.

Julian uses  that moment as his chance and runs back towards the tents. Liam lets his eyes move over the bushes where that _little something_ ran to. The bush moves and he hears hushed whispers but it's not clear, he can't understand a word.

"I won!" Liam hears a happy cheer from behind him. The young man bites his lip and shakes his head to himself; The whole thing with Zayn fucked with his mind.

He turns around with a smile "Yeah, you did. But I bet I'll be the first one back with the others." Liam challenges and starts running.

"Unfair, you had an early start!" Julian frowns but chases Liam nonetheless.

☼

Zayn is landing behind some trees and follows the familiar way through the trees to get to Liam's tent. He sees Liam with his boys on a mat sitting underneath a tree. Zayn smiles and leans with his side against an old tree trunk. He can hear Liam's laugh, loud and clear in his ears. Zayn is lost in the moment when a shadow appears next to him.

"So, this is Liam?" the voice says. The voice is ringing deep in Zayn's ear, the young man closes his eyes to focus on his breathing,

in – out – in – out.

Zayn turns his head to look at Daniel.

"My feeling never betrays me." the eldest says and locks eyes with Zayn.

"Liam is a good person. He is an A student. Helps out in the local pet rescue center. And he has a beautiful girlfriend." He says, gesturing to Charlie. "Would be a shame if someone would ruin it for him." He adds. Zayn narrows his eyes. "You know you are not good for him. I know he has told you a few times to leave him alone." Daniel continues.

Zayn clenches his jaw.

"Louis cares about him a lot. I have banned Lanzo to cross the barriers so he can't hurt him, don't make me do the same with you because Louis is going to hate me for it."

"I would never hurt Liam." Zayn states.

"Zayn, the curse makes you do it, whether you want to or not." Daniel responses. The eldest turns around to face the camp again, and lets his eyes move over the camp ground. "Something isn't normal here." he sighs.

"I know." Zayn agrees.

"I know you know. And I know you know more than you are telling me." Daniel says suspicious. "Louis might trust you, but I don't" he adds.

Zayn huffs a laugh "Tell me something I don't know."

Daniel lets his eyes drift back to Liam. "If you are not staying away from him, I will ban you, too. I don't know what you are planning and I don't know what role Liam has. But I am not going to risk all of those little kids lives." Daniel says stern and spreads his wings and flies away.

Zayn sighs and lets himself drop onto the ground. Why him. Why is the curse on him, why is everyone always blaming him for everything weird that is happening. Zayn feels it too; The uncomfortable vibrations around here, he just wants to protect Liam, why is everyone else making it so hard for him. The angel rubs the sides of his head and focuses his eyes back on Liam one more time, – He is laughing with Charlie.

For the first time in his 22 years, Zayn thinks that Daniel is right. It's his fault that Liam got dragged into this. It's his fault that Liam is in danger because he couldn't stay away from him. If he just would have stayed in _Naporia_ , and didn't move here with Louis and Niall, then he never would have met Liam. He never would have fallen for him. And he never would have messed up Liam's life.

☼

"How are you?" Harry questions Louis as he enters his bedroom.

"I have a really shit headache, to be honest." Louis sighs exhausted. He is laying in his bed, his face is buried between his arms that are thrown like an X over his face.

 

"I'll get you something to sleep, maybe it'll get better." Harry suggests.

"Thank you." Louis replies with a smile, he is expecting an answer but instead, the bed dips beside him and Harry's scent is filling his nose.

"Close your eyes." the younger one says softly and wipes over Louis' forehead with his thumb before pressing a kiss to the skin there.

Harry gets back up and lets the blinds down so Louis is left in the darkness. The man on the bed sees a hint of a light though shining into the room. It's probably coming from the hallway, Lous figures. The man hears footsteps leaving his room and adjusts himself on the bed. He doesn't climb underneath the blanket, though.

Before long, the footsteps come back. "Do you think the headache is because of the stolen eye?" Harry whispers into the room.

"Yeah, I think so." Louis replies and moves a bit to the other side to make room for Hary.  Louis feels the mattress sink under Harry's weight. "Here, drink this" he says gentle and Louis opens his eyes. A bit of light is coming into the room from the hallway blinding him. He sits up though and takes the bottle from his best friend's hand before drowning the liquid.

"Thank you H." He sighs and scoots closer to the other body. Louis lays his head down onto Harry's lap and closes his eyes as he feels fingers curling in his hair.

"I think I have found a way how we can train Liam." Harry says quietly.

"How?" Louis questions curious.

"I have found a book when I was cleaning up the attic in my old house when I moved here and put it into one of my moving boxes."

"You have more than 20 of those in the attic." Louis points out.

"I know, that's why I'll start looking for it now." he replies quietly.

Louis groans and slings his arm over Harry's middle "Stay." he complains. "Please" he adds.

"Get some sleep, Lou." Harry says but the other man can hear the fond smile in his friend's voice.

"Ok." Louis replies and closes his eyes.

Harry is watching Louis falling asleep. Half an hour later he frees himself from the sleeping man before tucking him underneath the covers. Harry pets over Louis' cheek one more time and presses a kiss to the skin there before leaving the room.

The steps are creaking under his weight as he makes his way downstairs. Niall and him meet in the hallway "How is Louis?" Niall asks and lays brotherly his arm over Harry's shoulder.

"He has a headache and is asleep now. Where is Zayn?" he raises questioning his eyebrow.

The blonde boy shrugs "He was heading up the stairs about half an hour ago."

Harry gives a nod, "I am going to look through my moving boxes for a book that could help us with training Liam, do you have time to help me?" Harry asks and walks down the hall to get into the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure." Niall agrees and waits for Harry to reach for a banana before they walk back upstairs to the attic.

It's a nice cool temperature up there but the air is thick. It smells of old cartons and dead animals and spider webs are all over the place. "Harry, from just looking over all of those boxes, I can see more than 20 with your name on it." Niall frowns.

"I know, so let's go." the other man clapps into his hands before peeling the banana. Niall shakes his head with a fond smile and opens the first box.

He coughs as a cloud of dust comes flying towards him. " _Uh-la-la_ " Niall teases then and pulls a dress out of the box. It's purple with thin shoulder laces. He holds the dress in front of his body, "I am a princess." he says with a too high voice.

Harry turns around and snorts "Put that back inside, it was my grandma's, she wore it when she received the best healer prize in 1977." he informs. "You look cute, you are more than welcome to wear it." Harry adds with a smile and turns back around. Niall declines with a smile and puts the dress back into the box.

The two fall into a peaceful silence, only their rummaging through the boxes is being heard.

Eight boxes, fifteen screams and five dead bugs later Niall wipes dust off a book "Harry, I think I have found it." The book cover is showing, a brown leather with a picture of an animal that looks like a chicken with a really long beak and the body looks like it's from a duck.

The curly haired boy walks over to take a look "Yes, that's it!" Harry exclaims and wipes the dust off to show the title _Witchcraft_. "Awesome" He adds and takes the book out of Niall's hold. He flicks through the book and is faced with only brown aged pages.

Niall frowns "Great, a book with no words." Niall says sarcastic and shoves his hands into his pants pockets.

Harry furrows his eyebrows and thumbs through the book one more time. "Fuck." he mumbles under his breath.

Niall claps Harry on the shoulder. "Maybe there are some glasses buried where the witches ashes are to read it." He suggests.

 "Or there is a spell that will make the words appear." Harry says.

"Yeah, maybe. But we can think about that downstairs in the living room, far away from all of those spiders." the blond one says and turns around. He walks past all of the boxes and towards the door. Niall notices that Harry isn't behind him and turns back around, he finds him staring at a picture.

"Is everything alright?" Niall questions worried as he sees Harry's frown. "H?" he asks careful and makes his way back towards his friend.

Harry reaches for the photo frame and wipes with his finger the dust off the glass. As Niall stops next to his friend he takes a look at the picture and raises his eyebrow. "That's Louis and Zayn" he snickers at the two boys, they are not older than 14. They look- close. Pretty close. Their arms are slinged around their bodies and their cheeks are touching.

"I-I know that they were close, but _this_ close?" Harry asks surprised.

Niall bites his tongue "They have been best friends for years, Harry. Louis was the only one who talked to Zayn in school, the others stayed away from him because their parents told them to."

"But why didn't Louis stay away from him?" Harry asks, eyes still locked on the picture.

He sees secrets in Louis' and Zayn's eyes. Secrets that he doesn't know about.

"You know Louis, he never liked it when he was being told to stay away from something –or someone." Niall replies. "Are you getting jealous?" the blond boy teases with a grin and bumps his hip against the one next to him.

"I don't know, is there a reason to be jealous?" Harry asks and looks over to Niall.

Niall swallows thickly. "We should go back to-"

"Niall!" Harry interrupts him and holds eye contact.

"Zayn was Louis' first kiss and Zayn opened Louis' eyes that he is not into girls." Niall mumbles. Harry blinks at Niall a few times.

"They kissed?" he asks startled.

Niall nods and lowers his eyes, maybe he shouldn't have said that. He turns on his heels and leaves.

"Niall, is there anything else that you are not telling me?" Harry questions impatiently and follows the blond one out of the room with the book and the photo in hand.

"You better ask Louis that yourself." Niall says and holds his arms up.

"So they had sex?" Harry asked appalled, eyes wide with hurt.

Niall shrugs "I don't know if they went _all_ the way but-" Niall stops himself and presses his eyes closed. "Damn it" He mumbles and sees Harry almost running down the hall.

"Harry!" Niall calls after him but the younger man is already out of sight. "I am a dead angel." Niall says to no one but himself and closes the door to the attic before following Harry.

Niall enters the living room and finds a very confused and upset Zayn.

Zayn locks eyes with him "What happened with Harry?" he asks confused

"I think he is just a bit stressed because Louis is sick and the book that could help us training Liam has no words." he explains half of the truth.

Zayn sighs, "This keeps getting better and better." he replies dryly with a sigh. A moment of silence falls between them, "Do you think that I stalk Liam?" he questions, then.

"Maybe a bit." Niall says honestly.

"Do you think I would hurt him?"

"No." Niall says slowly and a bit unsure. He has no idea where this is going.

The raven haired angel huffs, "Like I would ever hurt Liam or put him in danger –on purpose." he adds the last part quietly. "Anyways, we should see if we can help Harry somehow, sitting and pouting isn't helping." he says then as he figures Niall won't say anything back.

"I don't think that's a good idea, I think we should just stay here and let him work in peace. We'll send Louis down when he wakes up to calm him down." Niall says.

Zayn furrows confused his eyebrow but nods in agreement eventually, before sitting back down onto the couch, Niall joins him.

Two episodes of Friends later, Louis comes stumbling into the room. He yawns and stretches his arms towards the ceiling. "Where is Harry,  I need to thank him for the drink, I feel like a newborn." he says softly and smiles at his friends.

Niall itches the back of his head, Harry will start a tantrum in a few seconds as soon as Louis walks into the magic kitchen.

"Lou. H is a bit stressed right now." Zayn explains.

The oldest raises worried his eyebrow. "What happened?"

"The book that will help us train Liam has no words, he has been trying to figure out how to make the words appear for almost one and a half hours now." Niall replies.

"Alright, I'll take care of it." Louis says positive and leaves the room.

"Good luck." Niall mumbles under his breath and Zayn raises his eyebrow at him.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else that-"  Zayn is being interrupted by glass shattering on the ground and then a "What the fuck, Harry!" from Louis is echoing through the  house.

"Niall?" Zayn asks alarmed and gets to his feet

"I am sorry!" Niall apologizes as he rushes after Zayn out of the room and into Harry's magic kitchen.

They see broken glass on the stoned floor and a shocked Louis throwing his arms in the air.

"What happened?" Zayn asks and switches his eyes between Louis and Harry.

"Oh, look, _Zayn_ is here, I'll just turn back around so you both can kiss and make out and not tell me!" Harry frowns while turning around, paying his attention back to the pot in front of him. He is resting his hands on the surface and leans forward.

Two pair of eyes land on Niall. "I am sorry. He saw that one picture of you two when you were 14 and got suspicious and I am a shit liar." he rambles and drops his eyes to the ground.

"H. That was years ago!" Zayn says, trying to calm the raging man on the other side of the threshold.

"I don't care how long it has been since then. You lied to me." Harry says the last part to Louis, with fire in his eyes.

"I don't even get why you are so affected by it. Zayn and me kissed and exchanged handjobs, it's not like I have to tell you about every one I have been with" Louis says.

"Of course you don't, I just thought we are best friends and when we were having sex and I asked you if you had been with anyone else before, you said no, so I trusted you!" Harry says angrily.

Louis sighs deeply "Ok maybe I should have told you about me and Zayn but it's not like it meant anything. He is my best friend who helped me to figure myself out despite my dad's constant judgement." Louis explains and hopes it is enough, but it isn't.

"I don't really care, just leave me alone and let me finish this to see if it works." Harry gifts with his back towards them.

 "I don't even get why you act like this, we didn't even know each other back then." Louis shakes his head and bumps against Niall's shoulder on his way out.

"Harry, the reason why Louis didn't tell you, was because he knew you'd react like this." Zayn says calm. He doesn't get an answer though. When Zayn looks at Niall, the blond boy is still looking down and mumbles another apology. Zaynpresses a kiss to Niall's forehead and whispers "I'll talk to Louis." before he leaves.

"Ni, would you please come here and help me?" Harry's voice cuts the silence that was around them for a few moments. His voice is quieter now, it almost sounds like a whisper after what just had happened.

"Yeah." Niall says and floats over the glass to Harry's side.

"I mixed this drink, magic isn't that much different from a healer's power." Harry explains. Niall nods along without saying a word. "Can you please take the strainer and hold it over the sink?" Harry asks.

Niall obeys and watches as Harry places his hands on each side of the pot and carries it over before he pours the content into the sink. The water drowns away in the hole at the bottom of the sink and a weird looking crumbled green thing is being caught by the strainer.

"What's that?" Niall wonders curious and narrows his eyes at the thing.

"It's caraway." Harry responds and takes the leaf into his hands. He bites on his lip as he lays  the plant onto a page.

Niall raises his eyebrow "Does it work?" he asks quietly. He doesn't get an answer though.

Harry curses under his breath and throws the green stuff into the sink. There is a wet spot on the page now where the plant just had been.

"You tried, H. We'll find a way." Niall assures him with a pat on his shoulder.

Harry nods with a disappointed sigh.

Niall tucks his lip between his teeth and leaves the room. As he enters the living room he sees Zayn and Louis whispering on the couch. The older one is resting his head on Zayn's shoulder.

"Sorry." Niall blurts out, again.

"It's ok Nialler. I have no idea why Harry is making such a big deal out of it." comes the reply from Louis.

The blond one opens his mouth to say something but Zayn beats him to it. "You know why".

"Shut up." Louis complains and nuzzles his face into Zayn's shoulder.

☼

It's getting dark around Harry in the magic kitchen; the light that shines into the room from the window is becoming duller each minute. The sky looks bright red and the trees begin to look like dark shadows building an army of soldiers.

Harry licks over his lips to take away the saliva that had started to built on his lips by digging his teeth into them; A hint of blood takes over his taste buds. Harry sighs deeply and buries his face into his hands. He closes his eyes and imagines; he imagines soft hands massaging his shoulder blades, a soft voice whispering into his ear to relax him and soft lips are being pressed to his neck. Harry tries to swallow the lump in his throat and shakes that thought away before reaching for the book again. He narrows his eyes and lets his fingers wipe over the book cover.

 _There_.

The curly haired angel leans in closer and wipes over the spot again, the cover makes a slight indentation there and it feels _differently_. The man steps to the side and mixes a liquid together, only a few minutes later he lets the liquid drop onto the spot and like he thought, fingerprints appear.

A smile spreads over his lips for a short moment before he runs out of the room and up the stairs.

"Guys! I have found something." He exclaims, eyes focused only on Niall, though. "I have found a lot of fingerprints at one spot of the cover. We need Liam for the book to show its writing." Harry continues.

"Good luck with getting him here." Zayn says drily. The boys give him a confused look. "He is only yelling at me when he sees me" he explains

"Try again." Louis says.

Zayn rolls his eyes but gets up. "Alright. I will." he gives in and leaves the room.

☼

The sun disappears behind the horizon, the ball has turned from yellow to orange. It's a beautiful view. Liam hears his kids yawning from around him and calls it a day. He walks with them to the washing house to get them ready for bed. Ten minutes later he is laying in his fold bed, hearing even soft breathes around him.

He just had closed his eyes and turned to his side when he hears it. Quiet whispers in a language he has never heard before. The man gets up and leaves the tent with socked feet. He makes his way over to the first row of trees and takes a closer look to the bushes but he doesn't see a thing.

"Did you lose something?" A deep voice makes Liam startle.

"What do you want?" Liam says cold as he recognized the voice and furrows his eyebrow at the man before turning around.

"Liam-" Zayn continues and takes a step towards the other man.

"No. Stay away from me and this camp. Just leave me alone." Liam yell-whispers.

Zayn inhales deeply to stay calm. "Liam." he tries again.

"Fuck off!" the other man swears and leans down to pick a branch up and points it towards the angel.

Zayn steps back. "Fine. Don't expect me to come for your ass when you are being kidnapped by magical creatures." he gifts and turns around on his heels.

Liam watches Zayn's shadow disappearing in the dark.

 _There_. The bushes start moving again and the quiet whispers are back. This time, he understands though.

"It's really him" a high pitched voice says and then many voices fall together in one big sound cloud.

Liam narrows his eyes when the whispers stop and a little creature steps in front of the bush. The creature is reminding him of Yoda from StarWars. Though, he can only count three fingers on their hands and human naked feet. Liam furrows his eyebrows at the thing before him, that isn't taller than his lower leg.

"Master?" the creature says and Liam raises his eyebrow. An echo of "Master" comes out of the bush, Liam darts his eyes over a dozen heads that are poking out behind the bush.

"Did the bad one disrespect you, Master?" The creature in front of him asks.

"It's fine, he will leave me alone, now." Liam says and turns on his heels.

A shower of master's erupt behind him, again. "Shush" The one near Liam demands and in an instant silence follows. "Master, we are here to give you our honour and trust. We will be your army."

The little creature says and bows.

"I-" Liam starts but stops in his sentence when he sees a frightened face expression on the creatures’ face. In one moment he is standing with both feet on the ground and in the next he is looking down on the trees with a too familiar arm around his waist.

"What the fuck? Bring me back!" Liam cries through the night sky and starts to wiggle in Zayn's arms.

"Those were forest trolls, you don't trust forest trolls." Zayn informs him.

"Don't tell me who to trust. You are the last one on this fucking planet I trust right now!" Liam spits.

"Whatever I did, I am sorry, now stop wiggling, you are worse than a baby." Zayn says annoyed while he is shooting past the clouds.

"You are doing this against my will, let me down." Liam complains. The angel tightens his hold around Liam and doesn't give an answer.

Zayn drops down in front of the house and carries Liam inside.

"Let me down, I can walk on my own!" Liam demands.

Zayn rolls his eyes and shuts the door before letting go of the other man. "Now come." He says and leads Liam to the others into the living room.

"The forest trolls know about Liam." Zayn informs as they enter the room. "I saw them talking to him and could save him in the last minute."

"Save me? You kidnapped me!"

"You have no idea in how much danger you are, I am just trying to protect you but you keep pushing me away!" the angel says hopeless.

Liam laughs dry. "I wouldn't be in this mess if _you_ never would have come into my life!"

"Actually, _you_ came to _me!_ " Zayn defends himself.

" _No_ , I did _not_ "

Niall bites his lips, his eyes jump back and forth between the fighting men. "Guys, I regret to interrupt you but every second you spent fighting is lost time" he says.

Zayn sighs and drops his head "You are right, Ni" he gives in quietly.

Harry takes a step towards Liam. "The eye, that gives Louis and his family the power to see the happenings around the world got stolen and that's why we-" he coughs " _he_ can't see. We we can't protect you. So we have to teach you how to use your power so you can protect yourself." He says.

"We have this book to teach you but only you can open it." Harry continues and hands the book over to Liam.

Liam furrows his eyebrows and takes it into his hands. "Is this a joke?" he questions.

"Do I look like I make fucking jokes?" Zayn glares at him, his wings are spread angrily behind his back.

Liam rolls his eyes and opens the book. "There, it's open, and like you see there is nothing written." he says fast and closes the book again.

" _Wow_ , we did not think of _that._ " Zayn says.

 Liam's knuckles white where he is holding the book as four pair of eyes land on him.

"I was talking about a code or anything for the words to appear. I have found a lot of fingerprints on this spot." Harry continues and gestures to the spot.

Liam raises his hand and wipes over the spot with his index finger, suddenly he feels a strong power pulling on his finger.

" _Ahh_ " he screams and throws his hand away, the book falls on the ground with a heavy _thud_.

"Liam!" Zayn is next to the other man in less than a second, concern written all over his face.

Harry picks the book up and goes through the pages, but nothing has changed.

"What the fuck was that, Harry?" Zayn demands, his arm holding Liam's weight.

"I don't know, what did you feel?" Harry asks Liam and lets his own finger wipe over the book cover, but nothing happens.

"It felt like a magnet pulling on another one." He says and brushes Zayn's hands off of him after the shock subsided.

Zayn sighs deeply and steps to the side.

"Did it hurt?" Harry wonders.

"No" Liam shakes his head.

"You think you can try again?" Harry questions.

Liam locks eyes with Louis and Niall who are sitting on the couch, they give him a nod.

Liam inhales a shaky breath, "Yeah." he agrees then and Harry hands the book back to Liam. The man moves his finger back over the spot and feels it being drawn to a place where it stays put, the power is holding onto his finger like a magnet.

"And now?" Liam asks, his heart beating loudly in his chest.

"I don't know" Harry says helpless.

Liam takes his finger back off and turns it around to look at it. He sees nothing, the same skin, it feels the same, too.

"The book is reacting, so that's good. Now we need to figure out the next step."

Harry thinks out loud and furrows his eyebrows in concentration.

"Maybe a spell is needed? Or maybe just his voice?" Niall suggests from the couch.

"Try it." Harry agrees.

Liam is letting his eyes lock with everyone in the room, he feels ridiculous but he relaxes his shoulders and inhales another breath before laying his finger back on the cover. "Payne." He says while shaking his head awkwardly.

"Did it work?" he asks then as he hands the book over to Harry.

He watches the other man look through the pages, he shakes disappointed his head.

"Do you have a bathroom here?" Liam asks then and receives four raised eyebrows. "What? I don't know _how_ or _if_ angels use the bathroom." he defends himself.

"Of course we have a bathroom." Louis snorts.

 "What's next, do you want to know how long I have been 22?" Zayn wonders amused. Liam turns around and locks eyes with him, face serious and raises his eyebrow challenging. "For less than 365 days for sure." comes his snarky reply.

"We are actually people, just with wings and powers." Louis explains.

"Alrighty." Liam gives a nod.

"Come on, I'll show you." Zayn says and takes a step towards the door.

Liam doesn't move, though. "I am not going with you." he replies.

Zayn stops in his way and turns around, "I have done nothing to you, why are you acting like _this_?" Zayn eyes him, furious.

Liam shakes ignorant his head and locks eyes with Niall.

"I'll show you, then." the blond one says and gets off the couch to lead Liam the way.

☼

"Whatever you have done, Zayn. Good luck fixing it." Louis snickers.

"I didn't do anything. I don't know why he is acting like this." he repeats upset.

"I am back in the library trying to find something." Harry cuts into their conversation.

"Should we help?" Louis offers.

"No" Harry groans. "You can just kiss, if this is something you like doing." he finishes as he leaves the room.

Louis sighs, "What is his problem?" he wonders and watches the angel leave the room.

"He is jealous." Zayn shrugs.

"I think he is more mad than jealous." Niall says as he is walking back into the room.

"He doesn't have the right to be either of those. The first time happened way before I even knew him and the last time was a one night stand…and me and him aren't even dating." Louis says defensive.

"Louis, Harry is hurt because you weren't honest with him _and_ that it was with Zayn, he thinks that you like him too, and that was the reason why you don't want to _be_ with him." Niall explains.

"Well, we both have agreed to not wanting to be together like that." Louis replies.

"How honest were you, though? Honestly." Zayn narrows his eyes at his friend.

 Louis makes a face "That's not the point, the point is that Harry agreed."

"It could have been so easy, but no. You are so stubborn, both of you." Niall shakes his head.

"He is the one who is stubborn." Louis complains. Z

ayn and Niall roll their eyes. "We should bring Liam back to camp as long as Harry is trying to figure out how to open the book." He says.

"Why? It's not like his time passes when he is here." Zayn says.

"I know, but he needs to sleep." Niall replies,

"He can sleep here, it's too dangerous for him out there." Zayn argues with a furrowed eyebrow.

A raw and deep voice cuts through the air "The time is frozen as long as the night hasn't turned to light or the other way around. I don't know what happens when Liam gets back there by daylight." Harry says as he walks into the room. "I think we should bring Liam back and get him tomorrow again." he suggests.

Niall nods in agreement. "I'll take him." Zayn stands up.

"He doesn't want to be around you, Zayn. I'll take him." Niall says determined.

" _Fine_ , but I'll be watching over him over the night." Zayn says.

"No one can stop you from doing that anyways."  Harry says.

Liam joins them in the living room again.

"So, are you going to keep me hostage here or?" he wonders.

Niall shakes his head "No. I am taking you back."

Liam swallows thickly but avoids eye contact with Zayn. "Alright, goodnight guys, if you are sleeping."

"We do." Louis answers with a smile. "A lot actually." he adds and Liam chuckles.

"Alrighty. Let's go Niall." Liam yawns and stretches his arms towards the ceiling. His shirt slides up his belly and he feels a stare burning on his naked skin. He quickly pulls it back down and follows Niall without another word.

The blond angel spreads his wings and tightens his grip around Liam before shooting into the sky.

"Are these forest trolls dangerous?" Liam asks quietly, the wind is hitting his face, he decides to close his eyes.

"They can be. If you get too close. Just don't trust them and stay away from them and you'll be fine."

"How does this work, that the time doesn't continue when I am at the house." he asks curious.

Niall bites his lip "I know you have a lot of questions, but now is not the right time for those." he says and drops down on the ground.

"Thank you for bringing me back." Liam says and steps out of Niall's hold.

"You are welcome." Niall gives him a smile and shoots back into the sky. L

iam watches after him until he is out of sight and then steps into the tent. A few minutes later he is comfortable laying in his bed, his eyes are closed. He feels something though. He feels _him_.

" _Zayn._ " he thinks.

No response.

"I know you are here." he says in his head.

" _Sleep._ " the voice says.

"Not before you go."

" _Liam._ "

"I hate you."

" _I figured as much and now shut up and close your eyes. Tomorrow is a long day._ "

The man in the tent sighs and pulls his knees to his chest and obeys.

☼

The sun has been long gone. Zayn is sitting behind the tent, his back is resting against a tree when a shadow appears next to him.

"Daniel." Zayn sighs a greeting and closes his eyes. He is the last one Zayn wants to deal with right now.

"Zayn." Daniel replies, it's obvious by the sound of his voice that he isn't happy about their encounter either. A moment of silence falls between them, "What is so special about him?" Louis' dad wonders.

"Everything." Zayn replies.

"Can you explain me why I have seen forest trolls here?" Daniel questions.

"I don't know." Zayn lies without a twitch of his eyes.

"You do." the man argues impatiently.

"No." Zayn shakes his head.

Louis' father takes a deep breath "I warned you, if anything happens to my son or to these innocent humans because of _you_ , I will kill you with my own two hands." he warns.

Zayn swallows thickly. "If anything would ever happen to Louis because of me, or to one of the others or to one of these humans here, then you have to kill me before I do it myself." he replies, eyes frozen on Liam's tent. The reply doesn’t come.

**  
**

#  Day Eleven

 

Liam opens his eyes to the tent being lit up by the sun and the birds singing him a melody. But he hears something else too, a melody that doesn't sound like the others. Liam gets up, curious to what or whom the soft melody belongs to. It's beautiful, so _so_ beautiful. Liam gets off the fold bed and takes quiet steps to the exit. The zipper makes a too loud noise for the early morning hour, but none of the boys move in their beds. The brunette steps outside and turns around to face the forest. He is expecting to see Zayn but instead, he finds two beautiful young women. Their voices are harmonizing with the birds, it's the most beautiful sound he has ever heard.

Liam takes another step towards the two women. One has red hair, the other one blonde. He comes to a stop a few feet away from them, watching them while their eyes are focused on the birds above them.

"Oh, Master, did we wake you up?" the one with the red hair blinks at him with an apologetic look on her face. Liam shakes his head. Those eyes are beautiful and _yellow_. He takes another step towards them.

"Did you like our singing, then?" the other one asks, taking Liam's attention away from the red haired one. Liam nods as his eyes lock with the other one, she has yellow eyes, too. The eyes equal the ones from cats.

Liam bites his bottom lip as he takes another step, he suddenly has lost all control over his legs and tongue. "Can you sing some more?" he pleads and stops right in front of them. Both women raise one of their hands and lay it on each of Liam's cheek, then they continue their singing. A smile spreads over Liam's lips as his eyelids become heavier.

"Don't stop." he whispers and leans into both touches on his cheeks. He feels his head getting heavier, his eyelids are too heavy now to keep them open any longer. Liam feels like he is in trance, his body feels numb and he feels happiness in every inch of his body.

Suddenly, the touch on his cheeks are gone and what happens next, happens in a mere of seconds. He can open his eyes again and lift his head. He sees the two women taking quick steps backwards, before they turn around and change into two big cats before disappearing in the shadows of the trees.

Liam blinks at the spot where the two women just had been.

" _Main Coons._ " He hears a too familiar voice that finally brings him back down to earth. Liam raises his eyebrow confused and turns his head to look at Zayn. "They are deceitful creatures. Beautiful from the outside, breathtaking eyes and hypnotizing voices."

"And let me guess, _you don't trust Main Coons._ " Liam says mocking.

"Exactly." Zayn nods.

"Main Coons live in pairs and can be enemies towards other pairs if they get into each other's way." the angel explains.

"So, Main Coons are lesbians?" Liam wonders with a furrowed eyebrow.

Zayn nods "Yes."

"But how do they keep their breed going?" Liam wonders confused.

" _Liam,_ " the angel starts with a sigh "I am a angel, you are a witch, you saw them changing from a human into a cat and the only thing you worry about is how they keep their breed going?" he finishes dumbstruck.

Liam shrugs "Well, yeah."

Zayn shakes his head with a gentle chuckle and starts walking towards the forest. "I am coming back after breakfast." the raven haired man informs him as he takes one last look over his shoulder. Liam didn't notice that he had his wings spread; he had probably used those to scare off the Main Coons.

"Liam!" a soft, feminine voice calls him. The brunette hears the groan coming deep out of Zayn's throat. Liam turns around to face the angel with his back, so he can face _her_. He can hear Zayn shooting up into the sky and then feels an emptiness taking over in his chest, that just had been filled with Zayn's presence.

"Good morning." he greets Charlie with a smile "How are you?" he adds.  

"Didn't sleep so well." she sighs and looks downwards.

"Hey, why not? Is everything alright?" he asks worried and lays his hands on her cheeks to lift her head up. They lock eyes.

"I was in the forest again and- the _thing_ , Liam" she says frightened, eyes shiny with tears.Liam clenches his jaw and pulls her into his arms. "You don't believe me, do you?" She says with a shaky voice.

 "No matter what it was, I won't let it hurt you. I promise you." he says and presses a kiss to her cheek.

The girl nuzzles her face into Liam's neck and sighs relieved "Thank you."

☼

After breakfast, Liam starts his way through the forest. His brain tells him to wait for Zayn but the anger he feels by only thinking about him is bigger than his logical thinking right now. He is walking through the forest,  a weird feeling is settling down in the pit of his stomach telling him to turn around, but he doesn't. Liam sucks his bottom lip between his teeth, clenches his fists by his sides and takes a deep breath before he continues to walk past the trees. His steps are faster though than they were before.

The young man is so focused on every step, that he doesn't realize the dozen forest trolls walking next to him.

"Where is Master going?" one of them asks, voice sounding like it was overused with autotune.

Liam's heart drops into his pants as he stops in his way and looks at the green creature with a red hat in front of him.

"Is Master going to the bad angel?" Another one asks, Liam switches his eyes to the other one, that wears a blue scarf.

"Bad angel, is bad Master. He is dangerous. We will protect you." A different one says.

"Come with us, Master. You are safe in the middle of our circle." The one says, who is wearing the hat.

Liam opens his mouth to say something but he is already locked in the middle. He turns around, but the trolls are all standing around him now, looking forward.

"Come with us, Master" One says, it's not a question anymore or an option. It's a decision that they made for him, it's too late.

The trolls start walking and he starts to make a step in front of the other, too, walking in the same pace as the little creatures around him. They are walking in tune, right – left – right – left.

This time, when arms are being hooked underneath his armpits to lift him up into the sky, he doesn't fight it. A chant of _Master_ is getting quieter the further they fly towards the sky.

"You are so stupid." is the only thing Zayn whispers during their flight. Zayn touches down onto the stoned stairs that lead to the house and let's go of the other man.

Liam opens the door, steps inside and kicks the door shut right in Zayn's face. Liam makes his way into the living room where the others raise their eyebrow as they see him entering without Zayn.

Louis opens his mouth, but Zayn appears behind Liam and speaks before Louis has the chance to.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing?" he asks, eyes twitching with rage.

"I don't _need_ you!" Liam turns around to face him, nostrils flaring.

"What happaned back there did not look like it!" Zayn argues.

The brunette lowers his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest like a little kid.

 

"You don't _fucking_ go into the forest without me or one of the others _ever_ again, do you understand me?" Zayn scolds him.

Liam furrows his eyebrows "I am not a fucking child, what do you wanna do, ground me if I don't listen?" he replies, eyes locked with Zayn's.

"I won't have to, because you'll be dead if you don't listen." Zayn says.

Liam drops his eyes at that and doesn't give an answer. One of the other three is clearing their throat. Zayn and Liam turn their head to look at Harry. "There are a few things I'd like to try to open the book." Harry says, putting an end to their fight and takes a step towards the open door that is leading into the hallway. "Follow me."

Liam follows him, Zayn and Louis are close behind them. They walk down the hallway and face a big golden door, the door frame is round and for a second Liam doubts that it's a good idea to enter, but he does anyways. Harry opens the door and leads the way into the library. The book is laying on a stand in the middle of the room. Liam sees a big table towards his right that is covered with a dozen opened books.

"Alright, let's start." Harry claps his hands once and leads Liam behind the book.

Harry instructs Liam to lay his finger onto the spot again and asks him to say various different phrases which don't work. Two hours pass and nothing happens.

Louis is laying on the floor next to Zayn, munching on some cookies;  the crunch of each bite is quietly echoing through the room. Niall is skipping through a book, eyes getting tired from moving from left to right for hours. Harry curls frustrated his hands in his hair and tucks on some as he is hovering over a book. The brunette is scared to open his mouth to say something so he keeps quiet.

Suddenly, a book flies across the room and four pair of eyes land on Harry. "Can you fucking _stop_ eating those cookies?" He says furious, eyebrow furrowed and eyes sparkling dangerously.

The oldest one in the room blinks at him in shock and lays the started cookie back into the plastic bag.

Louis raises his hands in surrender. "Maybe you are looking in the wrong direction. Maybe it's not a phrase that we need. Maybe it's a spell?" he suggests carefully.

"Ok, _smart aleck_ , if you know it better, why are you sitting on your lazy ass shoving cookies down your throat?" Harry pants angry.

"I think you should mix yourself a drink to calm the fuck down." Louis responds.

Liam's eyes switch back and forth between the two fighting man, eyebrow raised curiously. He always thought these two were the closest out of them all.

"Come on, Liam, time for a break." Niall's voice is cutting through the room. The blond one gets up, and drags Liam out of the room by his arm.

"You know, I really appreciate your kindness, but this is not worth it." Liam sighs after Niall shut the door behind them.

"This has nothing to do with you, Liam." Niall promises and leads Liam into the kitchen.

"I don't understand-" Liam starts but cuts himself off, he doesn't know where to start.

"Neither do we." The blond one replies with a weak smile and reaches for a beer. "Fancy one, too?"

Liam shakes his head, "No alcohol allowed for the camp instructors."

Niall gives an understanding nod "Anything else, then?" he questions.

Another shake of Liam's head. The brunette sits down on one of the bar chairs facing the kitchen island. "What if I just leave?" Liam questions.

"It's too late, the war has already started." a too familiar voice says from behind him.

Liam doesn't respond, a million words are forming on his tongue he wants to yell at the man but he doesn't. A book is being dropped down next  to him on the surface and a presence lingers next to his right. "Just look at it and if you recognize _anything_ , let Harry know." Zayn says.

Liam turns his chair and looks up at the angel. "You are not supposed to see me right now." Zayn says through gritted teeth and walks over to stand next to Niall.

Liam takes a look at the book cover, of course he recognizes the animal. His mom has told him so many stories about the _Elwetritsche_ and how his forefathers and foremothers had control over these wild animals that were only seen by their specific ancestry. But he only bites his lips and let's his finger being drawn in by the power from the book.

He thinks about the scream he had heard from Charlie a few nights ago. He thinks about the panic and the fear in her brown eyes after he had found her. Liam jumps off the chair, walks out of the room and takes the steps upstairs. He could hear Niall's voice telling Zayn _no_ , after he had left the kitchen. Liam pushes the door open to the room he saw in his dreams and for the first time he turns on the light switch he finds on the left side next to the door.

The light flickers on above the bed, it's dull and barely brings any light into the room. The man flicks it off again and walks over to the window and looks outside. The sun is being reflected in the water he sees in the distance, the sky is free of any clouds and he can see his own reflection in the window. Liam turns around with a sigh and knees down in front of the bedside table with the angels. He sticks his tongue out between his teeth and lays his finger down onto the wings again. A soft smile spreads over his lips when the wings start flying on the spot.

Liam watches the wings move for a few moments before a photo frame catches his eye on the dresser at the other side of the room. He heaves himself up and walks over, the glass is covered in a thick layer of dust. Liam uses his thumb to uncover a spot on the frame. Leeroy appears, eyes crinkle by his eyes like Liam's do, dimples frame the corner of his mouth by the big smile he wears.

The young man tilts his head and uncovers more of it. A woman appears, she is in a wedding dress. His mind immediately jumps back to his latest dream, that was definitely a different woman in the bed.

Liam never believed in the meaning of dreams, or that dreams can be lost memories, or memories from a different life; from a life before this one. But Liam also never believed in angels and witches, and here he is. Being able to move wooden carvings and breathing fire. He expects to wake up any moment in a mental home institue, tied to a bed with strings attached to his tummy ,legs and hands. But it doesn't happen. Liam isn't sure if it is for the better or the worse.   

"Zayn doesn't want to set rules for you, he just tries to protect you." a soft voice cuts through the silence.

Liam turns around and locks eyes Niall. "Well, he has a really weird way of showing it, then." he says.

"He has never felt like this, Liam. This is just as new to him, as it is for you." Niall replies.

"What do you mean he has never felt this, I have heard he’s had his fair share of boyfriends." Liam responds.

" _Shags._ " Niall corrects him and the other man rolls his eyes. "Why do _you_ care?" Niall's voice sounds lighter and a bit teasing this time.

"I _don't._ " Liam shrugs and puts the photo back to its place.

"This is Leeroy and his wife, they are you great-something grandparents." Niall says then and walks to stand next to Liam.

"It's crazy, a week ago I was just a normal man, babysitting a few kids and now?" Liam sighs glum.

"This would have caught up with you sooner or later." Niall retorts.

"But I wouldn't have dragged you guys into this. Lanzo said-"

Niall cuts him off "Forget what Lanzo said. Zayn is a good one, he is one of _us_. Lanzo is the one you should stay away from." Niall stresses. "Why do you keep pushing Zayn anyway?" the blond one adds gentle.

A shadow appears in the doorframe, it's Zayn. Liam looks towards him "He knows why." he says cold and walks out of the room, bumping Zayn's shoulders as he passes him in the threshold.

"No _he_ doesn't know why." Liam hears Zayn call after him but the younger man ignores him.

A couple more hours pass and the five are back in the library. Zayn and Louis are sitting on the couch next to each other, drawing random patterns on their legs. Niall is sitting next to Liam on the floor, watching Harry tearing his hair out.

"If only this animal would be mentioned somewhere, but it's _not._ " Harry  curses and rubs the side of his head.

Liam stands up, guilt bubbling in the pit of his stomach "It's called _Elwetritsche._ " he says then quietly, it's almost a whisper. Four pair of eyes burn into his skull and then he is flying across the room by a violent wind shock.

" _Zayn_!" three voices echo through the room.

Liam hits the floor a few meters away with a grunt.

"You knew! You knew and you haven't said a word in the past four fucking hours we have been here." Zayn says, rage burning in his eyes. Liam can feel it from the other side of the room.

"I-I didn't _know_ you had no idea what it was called, I thought you'd know." Liam defends himself, even though he knows that he is lying.

Zayn opens his mouth a few times but ends up closing it again. Niall is biting nervously on his finger as he watches. "You know, we do this for _you_ , we don't need to give a fuck about what happens to you, since it is your fault that I have been doomed ever since I was born." Zayn accuses, eyes twitching with anger.

Louis' itches the back of head as his eyes fly back and forth between the two man.

" _My_ fault? Is it my fault that _your_ great-grandpa killed my great-grandma?" Liam yells back.

"Guys!" Harry interrupts them and gives both a warning look. Zayn sighs in defeat and pulls the other man on an invisible string after him.

"Would you _fucking_ mind?" Liam argues as his feet slide over the floor, he comes to a halt behind the book.

Liam inhales a shaky breath before he lays his finger onto the book and says quietly but clearly, " _Elwetritsche_ " The eyes on the cover light up for a brief moment before it dulls again. The other four are standing around Liam now, eyes focused on the book. Liam takes a deep breath and opens it, and indeed, the empty pages are filled with pictures and words that haven't been there before.

A body is appearing next to Liam, placing a finger on the writing and moving the finger along as they read quietly. Liam steps to the side and let's Harry read the page, he avoids to look at any one.

"Liam, you have already experienced fire, haven't you?" the curly haired man questions.

Liam nods, "Yeah, why?"

"let your palm face the ceiling and curve your fingers up a bit." Harry instructs and demonstrates it.

"But-" the man swallows thickly.

"The fire is not going to hurt you." he promises.

he witch lets his eyes lock with the other men who are looking back at him tensley.

Liam follows Harry's instructions.

"And now close your eyes and let your mind believe that there is fire burning in your hand." Harry continues.

Liam sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and closes his eyes. He feels the sweat rolling down his back and wetting his T-shirt.

"Relax." a gentle voice echos in his ear. A few moments ago the same voice was yelling at him and now it's the reason for Liam's tense muscles to loosen up. Liam feels his body starting to shake, it feels like he has no control over his own body as his mind is focused on the fire he sees in his head. A warm body is holding him in place and then an even warmer hand is holding onto his wrist to keep it still.

The smell of Zayn fills his lungs, a hurtful throb starts in his head and then he feels something hovering over his right hand. It's quiet around him, he doesn't hear anything other than his own beating heart in his chest. He still feels Zayn's hold on his wrist. Under any other circumstances he would have freed his hand and pushed him away, but he is scared and Zayn's touch is making him feel safe and protected.

"Open your eyes, Liam" Zayn says softly, a smile is hearable in his voice.

The witch opens his eyes and sees a fire burning above his hand. "Try to let go of the thought." Harry instructs.

Liam drops the though, and with the thought, his body drops too while the fire quenches in his hand.

Zayn catches Liam's body though, before he hits the ground.

Liam pants heavily in Zayn's arms, eyes too heavy to keep open and lungs too exhausted to expand.

"Shh." Zayn reassures the man in his arms. He sinks down on the floor with Liam and lets the witch's head rest on his upper thigh.  Niall appears on their side with a glass of water and hands it over to Zayn who pours some cold water into Liam's mouth.

"Swallow." Zayn whispers as he wipes the sweat drops on Liam's forehead away with his hand. Zayn pours some more water into Liam's mouth before pressing a tender kiss to the hot forehead. That's the last thing Liam apprehends before his eyes fall shut.

☼

"Are you sure he is only sleeping?" Liam hears, he flutters with his eyes and then he feels the pressure in his hand becoming stronger. As the young man opens his eyes, he looks at Zayn. Worried eyes locking with his tired ones.

"What happened?" Liam asks raw, his throat feels so dry, he starts coughing. Zayn helps him sitting up before laying a glass on Liam's lips so he can drink properly. He drowns the glass in one big gulp.

"Do you need more?" Zayn asks worried, still holding one of Liam's hand.

"No, I am good, thanks." Liam replies and sits up more. His body still feels too heavy for him to sit up by himself, so his body drops forward into Zayn's. He groans displeased. "Why do I feel like I just ran five times around the world without a break?" he questions, voice muffled by Zayn's t-shirt.

"Your body needs all your strength to be able to use your power." Zayn explains, Liam can feel the words vibrate through the other man's body.

"You are the last one in your family who is able to use the power, Liam, that is so sick." Niall beams excited from somewhere in the room. "I will be able to tell my children that dad was friend's with the last witch's son who was able to use his power." he continues.  

Liam feels Zayn's grip tightening on him, Niall used past tense.

Something in the air suddenly changes as Liam starts to feel stronger again and pulls away from Zayn, much to Zayn's disagreement but he lets the other man pull away from him nonetheless.

"Are you feeling better?" Zayn asks worried. Liam gives a nod but darts his eyes away from him.

" _Liam._ " Zayn pleads and reaches his hand out to touch Liam's skin but the other man pulls away and gets off the couch.

"Where is Harry?" Liam asks the blond one.

"In the library" Niall answers with a nod towards the door.

Liam crosses the room and leaves through the open door, he makes his way down the hallway and the closer he gets to the door the louder the voices become. Harry and Louis are fighting, again.

Liam tucks his bottom lip between his teeth and pulls away from the door, deciding not to interrupt them. He is about to enter the living room again, when he sees Zayn and Niall sitting on the couch next to each other. Zayn has his head hung low as he watches his hands fiddle with a string of his shirt. Niall is sitting next to him with a hand rubbing comforting circles on his back.

"You must have done something, Zayn. I don't think Liam would treat you like that for no reason." Niall says calm.

"I don't know what it could be, though." Zayn replies mournful.

"Maybe he is upset that you talked to one of his kids." Niall suggests.

"No, that's not it." Zayn shakes his head.

Liam sighs and sinks to the floor, with his back against the wall. Maybe it wasn't Zayn who took Charlie. Maybe it was someone else, or _something_ else.

"Zayn, I have never seen you this down because of someone, what's going on?" Niall questions, voice soft.

"I don't know." Zayn shakes his head. "He doesn't seem to trust me." he adds.

"I don't think he trusts anyone of us, if it makes you feel better." Niall says, trying to lighten the mood.

"It doesn't" Zayn says.

"It's understandable, though. I mean how would you feel if a group of angels suddenly showed up and told you about a war that has begun because of you."

Zayn nods in agreement.

"Give him some time." Niall adds and stops the circle movement to pat his friend's back instead.

Liam stands back up and takes a deep breath before entering the room. "Well, the other two are still fighting." he says with a shrug.

Niall and Zayn sigh, "I-" Zayn starts but stops himself. "Ok, how about I will check on them and Niall flies you back to camp? I- eh- _Niall_ will get you when the other two have stopped fighting." he informs, eyes locked with Liam's while he is talking. Zayn doesn't wait for an answer, he stands up and disappears out of the room without another word.

Liam feels a stitch in his chest as he watches Zayn leave, this is what he wanted. And yet he feels bad.

"Come on, Zayn is the only one who can break fights off between these two." Niall smiles at the other man and leads the way outside. Neither are talking during the flight, the angel lets the witch down behind a tree near his tent where he can hear his kids laughing.

☼

Zayn storms into the library and the two man immediately shut up. "You know, this is really bad timing for your marriage crisis since the last witch that will ever live, is currently number 1 on the _to kidnap_ list of every creature breathing right now." Zayn's voice is echoing off the walls, eyes locked with Harry.

"I did not start this fight." He says defensive and raises his arms.

"Oh, so now you are blaming it on me? Who was the one who called me the f word." Louis eyes the other man.

" _Harry!_ " Zayn exclaims, staring at the the youngest of them.

"It's true. He is a fallen angel, he has lost his power, he has lost _everything._ " Harry says through gritted teeth.

Louis leaves Zayn's side and walks through the still open door before letting it fall shut with such a force, a few rows of books come tumbling down.

"Harry, what the fuck?" Zayn furrows his eyebrows at the angel in front of him, he doesn't recognize his friend anymore. Zayn follows his friend out of the door, leaving Harry behind.

Zayn finds his friend about half an hour later sitting on a branch in a tree, watching two squirrels – These two have found each other, found a partner they want to spent the rest of their lives with, unlike Louis. He lost his best friend.

"Lou." Zayn says and bumps his shoulder with his friend's.

"He is right." Louis says then, his voice is weak.

"No he is not." Zayn reassures.

"He is. I have lost my power. Harry. My –" he doesn't finish that sentence, and he doesn't need to, Zayn knows what word is stuck on Louis' tongue.

"Your power was stolen, Lou. You didn't lose it. Harry is wrong." Zayn argues,  the feathers from his wings are dancing in the wind. Zayn lays his arm around his friend's shoulder and pulls him into his side. Louis rests his head in the crook between the other man's shoulder and neck.

"Harry is not treating you fair, right now. You don't owe him to tell him every single detail about your sex life." Zayn says then.

"But I knew- He had told me how important it is for him that I am honest with him."

"You have been honest with him, though. As soon as he has gotten into our lives, you have told him everything he needs to know about you."

"Except the nights with you." Louis adds.

"Lou, it's not like I asked you before I gave you a handjob last week about you and Harry's kinky adventures. He really needs to get his head out of his ass."

"Can you talk to him?" Louis asks.

"No. You have to do it."

"He hates me."

"Then let him hate you, but at least you could say you have tried to save your friendship. If he doesn't want to, it's his bag he has to carry with him and not yours." There is no response from the other man coming so Zayn continues, "Sometimes you can't fix what is happening in other people's brains, no matter how much you want to."

"Is this about Liam?" Louis asks then, a fond smile hearable in his words.

"Yes. I don't know what got him acting the way he does, but it is really confusing and I am just going to give him space until he will tell me what has sneaked up his ass."

"I think he is blaming you for his problems." Louis says.

Zayn sighs defenseless "I hope he will understand soon, though, that I only try to save his life."

"He will." Louis nods confident.

Hopefully it won't be too late, then, Zayn thinks but doesn't say it.

The two fly back to their house. Zayn joins Niall in the living room and Louis makes his way into Harry's magic kitchen. The older angel stops at the threshold, watching Harry's back as he mixes different ingredients together. A smile starts to come over his lips as he hears Harry starting to whistle a song. The older one leans on his side so his shoulder and head are touching the wooden frame. Harry starts shaking his body a bit, his hips are moving intentionally. Louis lets himself have _this_ , he doesn't know how their conversation will end, so he wants to at least lock this moment into his brain to keep it.

Louis inhales deeply and takes a step into the room. "H?" he calls him, making Harry aware of his presence.

Harry turns around, eyes going from soft and gentle to cold and sharp. "What do you want?" he sighs annoyed and focuses back on his mixing.

"I just want to let you know that I care about our friendship and if you are up to talk this through with me then let me know."

"What should I let you know, Loui _s_?" Harry questions, eyes watching the liquid that he pours into the bowl.

"Let me know how to fix this."

"You can't." the other man replies cold without hesitation.

"At least let me know if you see a future for our friendship or whatever. If not then, I guess it's over then." Louis says and turns around, he can feel the tears sting in his eyes as he leaves the room, without looking back.

Harry's eyes are focused on the other man as he leaves the room, bottle still in his hand. The younger man sighs and rests his elbows on top of the surface before dropping his head into his palms.

☼

Lunch is quiet that day. Louis isn't at the table, Harry is pushing his tofu around and counts each second with the clock in the room. Niall and Zayn are the only ones who are eating, their silverware is clinging against the porcelain and neither of them has the courage to cut the silence.

Suddenly, the front door flings open and a happy singing Louis is hearable through the hallway. "Hello lads." he beams as he enters the kitchen.  

"Sorry for being late, but I was out." He says, smile wide, crinkles by his eyes. The angel sits down on the free seat, between Harry and Zayn and starts to load the food onto his plate.

Niall and Zayn lock eyes for a brief moment before they are looking over at Harry who is bending the fork with the force of his hand. The eyes from Hary are frozen on Louis' profile. Louis has not once looked at Harry since he had entered.

This is not good.

"You have no idea how wise humans are." he begins and starts chewing. Both Zayn and Niall pray that Louis doesn't continue. "I wonder why Liam never told us about Josh."

"Josh?" Niall furrows his eyebrows confused.

"Yea, he is watching over the guys from the age of 12 to 14. Quite the eye candy, that lad." he says teasing.

Zayn and Niall lock eyes again.

No, this is not good at all.

"And not only does he look good, he is a even better hugger." Louis  continues. Zayn lets his eyes jump to Harry who is staring holes into Louis' face, but the other man seems to be unaware of it. "And his smell, _delicious._ " Louis says happily and takes another bite. "And his skin, _so soft._ "

That's it.

Harry's full plate drops to the floor and then he is gone.

"Was that really necessary?" Zayn sighs and gives Louis a tired look.

The older man shrugs. "He told me that I can't do anything to fix it, so I am just going to move on. Just like Josh said, a friendship is two sided and not one sided. I tried. If Harry doesn't need me, then I don't need him." Louis gives another shrug and takes a look to the clock on his left.

"I gotta go, I am meeting Josh." Louis beams and is gone before the other two can stop him.

☼

Harry is lying on his bed, the photo frame with a picture of him and Louis is standing on his tummy. He spent the time between lunch and when Louis had talked to him thinking. He was being unfair, he was acting like a child who had to share his favorite toy with a sibling. Not that Louis is comparable to a toy, but Harry felt a special connection with Louis since he had touched parts of him that he thought were never touched by the others.

Harry always felt like he would never become as close to Louis as the others are, since he only had known him for about five years. And just the thought of being closer to Louis than the others ever have, made him feel special. He just wanted to be special for Louis but the train is definitely gone now.

A smile crosses his lips when he remembers the first time he met Louis. Niall had introduced them. At first Harry had planned on staying in this house for a few months until he had his own flat but the others didn't want him to leave and neither wanted he. So he stayed, unpacked his things into the room closest to Louis' and then carried the boxes with the oldest one onto the attic. The following day Louis announced to go on a lads holiday to celebrate Harry's moving in.

The photograph was taken on their first night as they were sitting on an empty beach with the fire burning in front of them. They are talking to each other, not paying any attention to whoever was taking the picture. The glow of the fire is lighting up their faces, but the fire is not the brightest spot on the picture, it's their smiles.

Harry touches Louis' face with his thumb on the glass. He misses it, those times when he had his feelings for Louis under control. He knows it's his own fault, he knows that. Harry wipes over his face with his palm and starts to stare out of the window. He hopes that Louis will show up, knocking at the window like he used to after every fight they had over the last years. But the only thing that he sees on the other side of the window, is the sun, and even though it is shining the brightest, the yellow ball has never looked so dim.

Harry stands up and by a clumsy movement the picture frame falls off the bed and the glass shaders in a dozen pieces on the floor. " _Shit!_ " Harry curses and tries to gather the bigger pieces. The angel does another wrong hand move and a piece of glass gets stuck in his hand. " _Damn it_ " he swears to no one but himself.

The man leaves the broken glass where it is and leaves his room. He crosses the hallway and enters the bathroom to aid his hand.

A shadow appears in the doorframe. "Harry!" Zayn exclaims worried and sinks down next to his friend on the tiles. He reaches for the nearest towel he can find and pulls the now red piece of glass out of his friend's hand. Zayn drops the piece of glass and uses the towel to press it onto Harry's wounded skin. His eyes scan over Harry's body, looking for more cuts. "I'll get the first aid kit." he says, then and gets to his feet and opens a cupboard to get the bag.

They don't talk while Zayn bandages Harry's hand. "Thank you." Harry says under his breath while Zayn tapes the end of the bandage together.

"You are welcome. Niall is getting Liam right now." Zayn informs his friend.

The other angel gives a nod "Alright. I'll be in the library." he says and gets to his feet.

Zayn watches him disappear out of his sight and then cleans up the bathroom.

☼

"Alright, let's continue working on lesson #3." Harry says and opens the book. He skips over the first couple pages.

"What about #2 and #1?" Liam questions curious.

"Lesson #1 was letting your power show itself when you are ready, #2 was becoming aware of your power and let it become stronger by repeating. And #3 is learning to use it deliberately." he explains.

"Step 1." Harry reads out loud from the book. "Clear your head."

"Done." Liam replies.

"Step 2: focus on your intention." Harry says.

"Huh?" Liam blinks at him.

"You should focus on what you want to do." the younger one explains.

"Well, what _can_ I do?" Liam asks him.

"Anything" Harry smiles.

"Try to move the bag of chips." Niall suggests and points to the plastic bag that is still laying on the floor from earlier today.

Liam stares at it for a moment and then looks up and turns towards Harry. "Do I have to say anything or-?" Liam asks unsure.

The four angels in the room start giggling.

" _Hey!_ " Liam pouts and lets his eyes jump to everyone before they are freezing on Harry.

"You have to hold your hand out like this-" Harry says and demonstrates it. "And move the bag with your mind and then with your hand."

Liam nods along and turns around to face the plastic bag again. "Alright, let's do this." he says to himself and takes a deep breath before straightening his arm.

Four pair of eyes are on the chips bag on the ground, but nothing happens.

"You are not focused enough." Zayn points out and takes a step towards Liam.

"I _am_ focused." Liam argues with an annoyed crinkle in his forehead.

"Close your eyes." Zayn instructs.

Liam wants to argue but decides against it. He closes his eyes.

"Good and now forget everything, forget the camp, the kids, _us._ " Zayn says, his voice is fading more with each word.

Liam opens his right eye a bit to see if anything happens, but it doesn't. The bag isn't moving.

"Keep your eyes closed. You are not trying _enough._ " Zayn accuses annoyed.

"I _am_ trying!" Liam fires back.

" _Guys_!" Harry tries to stop their banter but they ignore him.

"Don't tell me whether I am trying or not. You have no idea how stupid I feel, standing here, with my arm stretched out, trying to make a shitty plastic bag move!" Liam yells.

"Zayn, come on, I think the best would be if we let Harry and Liam do this on their own." Niall reaches for his friend's arm but Zayn doesn't pay attention to his friend and shrugs his hand off.

"No" He declines, eyes frozen on Liam's. "First I want to fucking know what _your_ problem is." he finishes.

"I can't believe that you have the nerve to ask me that!" Liam says, he is surprised by the tone of his voice, it sounds so unfamiliar in his own ears.

Zayn reaches for Liam's arm, curls his fingers around Liam's wrist and pulls him after him towards the door.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Liam shouts and tries to get out of Zayn's hold.

"Alright." Zayn says and pulls his arms away, but an invisible string is pulling Liam along.

"Let me _go!_ " Liam tries to get out of Zayn's jinx but fails. The golden door opens and the two leave the room, with a loud thud the door falls shut behind them.

"The only reason why I do this, is because I don't want to end like Louis and Harry." Zayn explains and points towards the closed door.

Liam can hear the pain in Zayn's voice and see the anger in his brown eyes.

"Liam, tell me what happened. Why don't you trust me, anymore?" Zayn asks and uses his eyes to force Liam's brown ones to look back at him, but no words come over the other man's tongue.

Zayn raises his hands and holds Liam's upper arms. "Tell me." he says.

"You kidnapped Charlie and who knows what you would have done to her if she wouldn't have had the chance to run away." Liam glares at the man.

Zayn narrows his eyes "I did what?" he huffs and shakes unbelievable his head.

"Your cousin was right, with everything he told me." Liam continues and reaches for the doorknob to get back into the library. A hand around his wrist stops him, though.

"Wait." Zayn says cold. "Why do you think I was the one who tried to kidnap her?" he questions.

Liam shrugs "She said the thing who did it had red wings, and as far as I know Lanzo can't come here." he explains.

"And you immediately thought of me, _why_?" Zayn asks disappointed.

"Who else could it have been? You never seemed to be too fond of her for whatever reason." Liam says.

"Just because I feel like something’s not right with that girl doesn't mean I would kidnap her." Zayn argues.

"Oh, and why not?" Liam challenges and raises his eyebrow.

"Because I can see that she means something to you." Zayn says and turns around.

Liam watches Zayn becoming smaller in the distance until he is out of sight.

Sighing, Liam pulls the door back open to the library and shuts it with his back. Two pairs of eyes are watching him.

"Let's continue." he says and walks over to Harry's side again.

"Alright." Harry says unsure.

Liam gets back into his position, eyes closed, arm stretched out and brain busy running in circles.

"Liam." Harry calls him gentle and Liam looks over his shoulder to face him. "It doesn't make sense to practice if you are not focused."

Liam drops his hand and lets go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I just- What if it's not me?" Liam questions, eyes locked with Harry's green ones.

"Liam." Harry closes the book and steps away from it. "Straighten your arm." he instructs.

Liam does as told. "Remember yesterday when you made the fire?" Liam nods.

"Do it again." Harry says.

Liam tries, he feels the heat in his body but nothing happens. "See, it doesn't work."  he says.

"Liam, you need to believe and have faith in your power." Harry says.

"What power, Harry? It's been almost  900 years. Maybe I could make the angels move on the bottle and the table, and maybe my voice was as loud as the call from a wolf one time and maybe there was fire over my hand this morning but maybe that's it. Wouldn't it be easier for all of you anyway if I would just leave? Just let some of those creatures take me, I won't be a help for them anyways." Liam gives up.

"We won't give up on you." Harry says confident.

"I agree. Let's go and get some fresh air, alright?" Niall suggests and stands up from the armchair he was sitting on. Liam gives an agreeing nod and follows the blond angel out of the room.  

Harry waits until the door falls shut before he leans forward and rests his elbows onto the book. His fingers find their way into his mop of hair. His head is throbbing, though he isn't sure if it is because of Liam or Louis, or maybe both. he starts rubbing his heavy eyes and decides to let himself fall backwards while floating during his fall towards the couch. He shields his eyes with his inner elbow of his right arm when he hears it.

By the gust of wind he had left behind by floating to the couch, a few pages turned and then, an almost silent thud fills Harry's ears. He  heaves himself up by his elbows on each side next to him on the couch and takes a look through the room.

 _There_ , a little bit to the right, next to the book, is a letter that hadn't been there before. Harry furrows his eyebrows and stands up. He walks over and bends down to pick it up, then he turns it around in his hand, trying to find a receiver's name or a sender's name. But both sides are clear.

Harry rips the top part off and pulls the piece of paper out, he drops the envelope and unfolds the dirty aged-yellow piece of paper.

_Dear Heather,_

_this is going to be my last letter to you. I am more than grateful for everything you have done for me and my family. Please do me one last favour and keep the book close to your youngest beating heart. One day it will be needed one last time and it must not get into the wrong hands. Only your blood will know who the book truly belongs to._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Liane_

Harry's hands are shaking, Heather; is Liane talking to Harry's very own great grandma? They were friends? Liane trusted _his_ great grandma with something as significant as the only way to teach every descendant of hers the magic skills. The piece of paper has water marks on random spots where the blue ink looks lighter and unclear. Maybe tears? Harry wipes with the pad of his fingers over the smudged writing.

His brain is repeating the same two words, _'Last letter'_ over again like a broken record. The young man narrows his eyebrows, there must be more letters somewhere. Before he can think about his next step he is rushing out of the room and down the hall into the living room. He furrows his eyebrows at the empty room and decides to float up the stairs to check every room but they are also deserted. Harry floats back downstairs and steps out of the front door.

He finds Liam beaming at something in the sky. When he looks up he sees Niall flying random figures in the blue, cloud free sky. "Niall is really beautiful to watch, isn't he?" Harry says quietly, eyes focused in the sky on the white wings in front of blue.

"It is quite soothing, too" Liam admits with a smile.

Harry snickers "That is the magic of an protector, Liam."

"I wish I could fly too, like you." he sighs, eyes not leaving the small figure in the sky.

"Flying is something magical and wonderful." Harry agrees with a happy sigh. A few birds are singing around them, it's peaceful and quiet and a warm feeling is spreading through his body. Though, the peace is suddenly disturbed, as Liam sees a red dot flying in maximum speed towards his friend and crashes into him, the two figures disappear from their eyesight.

"Niall!" Liam jumps up, panic hearable in his call, body shaking, tears building uncontrollable in this eyes.

"Liam," Harry says calm with a lightness in his voice as a hand appears on his  back. "It was only Zayn. He does that sometimes, he didn't hurt Niall." he explains.

Liam is still shaking, Harry's hand that is rubbing comforting circles on his back isn't helping right now. "You can't tell me that that didn't hurt Niall." Liam pants upset and points towards the sky where Niall just had been day dreaming.

"We are stronger than you think, Liam." Harry assures.

They hear Niall's loud laughter before two spots in the sky appear again. It looks like a Ying/Yang symbol to Liam. As the two slowly float down towards the earth Liam sees how Zayn is literally hanging on Niall. It reminds Liam of the way a koala hangs on to their mom, though the closer they get, the madder Liam becomes. The two touch down in front of them and Liam storms back into the house, shutting the door behind himself.

The door opens behind him and Liam steps to the side. Niall is poking his head into the hallway before walking inside. "I am fine." he says and flutters with his wings, his arms are stretched out to his sides as he smiles at him. "Didn't lose one feather." He says. "And it is a lot of fun, Zayn can fly faster than any of us, it feels like you are in a rollercoaster when he catapults himself into you."

"But you were relaxing, probably didn't see him coming." Liam argues.

"I saw him." Niall defends Zayn. "Zayn would never hurt anyone of us. He is a good one."

"Not according to his wings and his aura, or whatever it is called."

"Don't let the curse manipulate your thoughts, Liam. Zayn is here, trying everything to keep you safe." Niall smiles.

"Do you know his intentions though?" Liam argues.

Niall narrows his eyes "He cares about you.".

Liam drops his eyes and opens his mouth to answer but the door flies back open and Harry walks inside "We should continue. We have two more hours until the sun starts to set and you have to be back before that."

☼

"I have found a letter." Harry informs the others, then, as Liam, Zayn, Niall and him are back in the library. Three pairs of eyes are watching him. "It's from my great grandma, Heather, she was friend's with Liane." he continues.

"What does the letter say?" Zayn raises curious his eyebrow.

"That she is in charge of this book so not the wrong people get hold of it."

"It's not like anyone else can use it, Liam is the only descendant." Niall adds.

"Yes, but 900 years ago were more." Harry says.

"She mentions more letters, maybe we will understand more once we have found them." Harry continues.

"If we only knew where they are, if someone hasn't burnt them." Zayn adds.

"She also says that my great grandma’s blood will be the only ones who will know who the real descendant is."

Harry locks eyes with Liam who takes a deep breath. "Let's try again" he nods encouraged.

Liam relaxes his shoulders and focuses on the plastic bag on the ground. His body starts to heat up, his cheeks going from pale to rosy in a few seconds. "That's good, keep going." Zayn says calm and yet excited and steps closer to Liam.

The angel feels like he is in trance, he feels Liam's power tickling in his own fingertips, pulling him towards the other man. "Don't forget to breath." Zayn reminds him and lays his hand on the other man's back.

 At the touch, the tickling in his fingers subsides and Liam drops his hand and takes a step away from the other man. Zayn sighs and raises his hands in surrender while stepping back. He blinks a few times to clear his brain before walking back towards Niall.

"Again" Harry says then, eyes dropping away from Zayn to focus back on Liam. He gives him a nod and Liam's eyes jump to Zayn's, their eyes meet. Liam wets his lips and drops his brown eyes back to the plastic bag. He straightens his arm  and the warm feeling inside of his bones becomes stronger. His eyelids become too heavy to keep them open and his hand starts to shake. _Breath_ he hears inside of his head, it's not Zayn though, so he listens. An unpleasant pressure in his head starts to throb as the silent around him feels too loud.

Zayn is trying to breath, the tickle in his fingertips becomes stronger and an invisible force is trying to pull him towards the other man. Zayn lays his arms around Niall to hold onto him.

"Zayn?" Niall asks quietly, but loud enough for Liam to lose his concentration.

Liam opens his eyes and sees Zayn holding on to Niall for dear life. His arms are flexed around the younger man's middle.

"I can feel Liam's power, and it drags me towards him." Zayn thinks out loud and lets go of his younger friend as the force stops pulling on him.

Harry sighs deeply and itches the side of his head "So, the question is, if it is good or bad." He asks the question that everyone was thinking. Zayn locks eyes with Harry.

"Zayn, follow the drag when you feel it." Harry decides.

They only can know if they try it.

"But-" Liam wants to argue.

"Liam, he won't hurt you. We are right here." Niall promises.

The witch locks eyes with Harry who is standing next to him. He gives him a reassuring smile.

"We know how to handle Zayn." Niall jokes then.

"Yeah, _one_ of us does and _he_ is not present right now, but we will be able to handle him." Harry says, voice too sarcastic to be making a joke.

"Harry-" Zayn frowns but the other man shakes his head.

"Liam." Harry says encouraging by cutting Zayn off. Liam bites his lips but focuses back on the chips bag.

His arm is stretched out, his eyes are closed and he sees the bag moving in his mind. Suddenly, a body is pressed to his back and Liam sinks into the touch from the other man immediately. He is too focused on the movie in his head than to fight the urge to get away from the other man.

Zayn's left arm is holding Liam's middle; his arm is tucked underneath the witch's left one which is hanging loosely by his side. Zayn's fingers on his left hand are curling around Liam's right hip. Liam feels Zayn's hot breathing on the side of his right neck, giving him goosebumps; his hot nose is bumping against his hot skin.

Then a hand is being laid on top of his stretched out one. Liam focuses half on the _thing_ he is supposed to do and half on the unsteady breathing on his neck.

"Do you feel anything?" Zayn questions in a whisper. And _yes_ , Liam does feel _something_ , it's deep inside of his tummy- and then; his tummy grumbles.

Niall and Harry erupt in laughter and Zayn steps away from the other man before Liam can push him away.

Liam blushes "I am just hungry." Liam defends himself and wants to touch every spot on his skin that Zayn just had touched.

"Do you think you can try again?" Harry questions and Liam furrows his eyebrows.

He looks over at Zayn who shrugs. "I don't feel the need to hurt you, if that is what you are worrying about." he says honestly

"Alright." he agrees with a nod while turning around to face the plastic bag on the floor again. Liam relaxes his shoulder before getting back into position.

This time when Liam concentrates on moving the bag, he only feels Zayn on his right side. The stubble covered chin is hooked on his right shoulder, his hand is laying on his. Zayn's breathing is hearable in his ear and then he hears a quietly "There you go.".

Liam opens his eyes and indeed, the bag is moving in whichever direction Zayn leads his arm.

Liam catches his breath as his legs go numb. His body drops against Zayn's strong one.

"I got you." Zayn says, strong arms appearing around Liam's weak body. Liam doesn't fully pass out, though he hopes he would. He feels miserable, his entire body feels numb, from his toes to his lungs to his head.

"Breath slowly." Zayn says softly.

"Can't." Liam whispers, eyelids too heavy to keep open anymore.

"Of course you can." Zayn encourages and turns Liam around in his arms so he is facing him. Their eyes stay locked and Liam slowly starts to feel his lungs expand again.

"Are you alright?" Zayn questions and Liam nods, eyes still locked with the other man's for reassurance.

The door to the library flies open and hits the wall with a loud thud "Wow, what did I miss." Louis says surprised and grins at Liam and Zayn.

Niall and Harry look over to Louis.

"If you would have been here, then you'd know." Harry says cold. "I am preparing some eggs and crackers for Liam." he adds then and storms past Louis out of the room.

Louis watches him leave and bites his lower lip before he follows the other man.

 "Harry!" Louis calls after him.

"Leave me alone." Harry grunts and stomps into the kitchen.

"If there is any person you should be mad at it's yourself."

Harry doesn't reply right away, he grabs for a pan and  then- he wants to make his way across the room to the fridge but Louis is already handing him the eggs. Harry takes the carton without a word and turns back around to face the stove.

“I don't know if you realize it, but I am trying, yet again, to fix it. If I did anything wrong then let me know, talk to me, Harry." Louis says pleading. "Because this is the last chance I am giving you. I don't have the strength any longer."

No answer.

"You know, in school we were taught the worst thing that will ever happen to us is losing our power. But do you want to know what is even worse for me, it's losing you." he says and turns around, he doesn't come far before Harry's voice stops him.

"I never had anything for myself when I was growing up." Harry starts. "I always had to _share_ ; share my clothes, my toys, my presents." Harry rambles and Louis turns around to face him. "I never had anything for myself and when we started this I liked the idea of having a part of you that no one ever had. I saw how close you and Zayn were. I saw how close you and Niall were. And it was exciting to know that I was special because I was able to know a part about you that neither of them knew. I just wanted to be special to you, Louis."

Louis watches him, mouth slightly open. He tries to sort out his thoughts but he can't. Louis takes step closer to the younger one instead. "You might have not been the only one regarding those things you just listed. But you are definitely the only one who I ever stayed with when you asked me to.” Louis says and turns around on his heels.

He doesn't look back as he leaves the kitchen and Harry. Harry stares at the spot Louis just had been, he hears the front door opening and before he can think about doing it, he is already standing in the threshold, holding on to Louis' wrist to prevent him from leaving.

Louis turns around, this is the closest Harry has been to Louis in the past few days. He realizes how exhausting the wrinkles around his best friend's eyes are.

Harry swallows and blinks down at the smaller but older man. "You have always been special to me, H." Louis says. “I am sorry.” he adds.

“I’m sorry too.” Harry says. “I let my insecurities affect me too much. It’s really none of my business who you have been with before me.” He says.

“And I never should have pursued you in sleeping with me, again.”

“It was nice, though.” Harry replies.

Louis nods. “It was.” he agrees with a smile. They look at each other for a moment.

“I better get back and finish Liam’s Omelette.” Harry says.

Louis nods, “I’ll help you.” he says and the two walk back inside, the back of their fingers brush on their way through the house.

☼

They are all sitting in the living room and watch Liam eat. "Did you feel safe when Zayn was standing behind you?" Harry questions Liam.

Liam shrugs "I don't know, it was a mixture of uncomfortableness and safeness."

Zayn looks at him with a raised eyebrow "Do you think the uncomfortableness would be explained by why you have been avoiding Zayn?" Harry continues.

"I feel like I am having a conversation with a therapist right now." Liam changes the subject.

"Liam, answer the question. We don't know if it is a good sign that Zayn is being drawn towards you when you are using your power." Harry stresses.

 "I guess, yeah. I personally am more worried about the save feeling, It felt fake." He says. "It felt _manipulated._ "

"I am not manipulating you." Zayn says confident.

"Says you." Liam accuses.

Zayn clenches his fists.

" _Zayn-_ " Louis begins but is getting interrupted.

"So you believe him?" Zayn asks disbelieving.

Louis raises his hands "We don't have any other choice. You want to protect him, don't you? What if there are some hidden traps that we don't know about? Your ancestor did kill Liam's. If this is some kind of warning that Liam feels right now, it is better to listen to it"

"Louis is right." Harry agrees.

"Of course, as soon as you two have called it a truce, the husbands are back agreeing on everything." Zayn says annoyed.

"Zayn. We know that you would never hurt Liam or manipulate him, but that feeling that Liam feels could warn us from something _bad._ " Harry says.

 "But what if the good feeling is real and the bad feeling is fake" Zayn argues.

"You don't know that, and neither do I"

"So what do we do now? What if Liam only says the save feeling was fake to piss me off, because apparently he thinks that I would kidnap random girls"

"Charlie is not a random girl" Liam furrows his eyebrows and glares at the angel.

 "Ok, that's enough for today. Liam, I will bring you back to camp, we will get you tomorrow morning again." Harry claps his hands, ending the argument.

☼

After Harry had dropped Liam off at camp he flies back. He just had closed the front door behind himself when he sees Louis hurrying down the stairs. "Where are you going?" he raises curious his eyebrows at the man.

Louis misses the last steps at the sight of the other man and tumbles over his own legs.

Harry is right there to catch him though. "Styled hair, a nice tee, clean pants." He countes off and takes a hearble breath through his nose "Your favorite aftershave." he enumerates.

Louis blushes as the younger man lets go of him. "Yea, I- uh." Louis stops himself to swallow thickly.

"Seeing Josh?" Harry raises his eyebrow, there is no smile on his lips though.

The older man only nods in response and steps out of his friend's arms.

A fake smile starts building on Harry's lips "Alright, enjoy your evening." he says, voice weaker than before.

"Thanks, you too." Louis blinks at him and walks across the entrance hall to the front door.

"Wait!" Harry suddenly exclaims and bends forward to pick Louis' phone up that must have dropped out of his pocket after the fall. "Your phone." he informs and walks over to his friend to hand him the device.

"Thank you." Louis exhales and pockets his phone. His eyes are following his movements before he looks back up. Harry is close, _so_ close. Louis can taste the sweet breaths from the younger one on his lips. "I'll see you later" The curly haired one breathes. "See you later" the older man nods, then he opens the door and closes it behind himself. Louis takes a deep breath, letting the fresh air relax his body.

 _He can't_. He tells himself and leans with his back against the door. The urge to go back inside to the other man is there and it is strong.

Harry is mirroring Louis on the other side. He has a deja vu from a few days ago. He can't let Louis go, not _again_ , _he can't_. And before he even realizes what he is doing, he is pulling the door open.

Louis is standing there, supporting his weight with his palm against the house next to the door. His hand is in the same high as the door knob, fingers curled in the air around nothing. They look at each other, then their eyes fly to other ones lips and then they are kissing. Hands disappearing in each other's hair and bodies colliding with each other. Their are both stepping outside before one of them pulls the door shut. Louis corners Harry against the wood, locking him between the door and his small body.

"This is not a healthy friendship, you know." Louis points out in between their kiss.

"I know." Harry hums against the other man's lips.

"We both apologized though for our mistakes and we can work on it." Harry suggests and presses his lips against Louis' again.

Their kiss has slowed down, it's more of soft pecks on lips now they are exchanging between their words.

"We can work on it, but friends don't kiss." the older one says, eyes still closed while his lips continue to meet Harry's in the middle.

"Then let's not put a name on it, let's just be us. You and me. Harry and Louis" Harry says. "Alright" Louis agrees.

Harry beams at his best friend and pecks his lips one last time before pulling away.

"How about we watch the sunset from our tree?" Louis questions the younger man.

Harry gives a happy nod. "Let's go then" he says.

**  
**

#  Day Twelve

 

Liam is being woken up by the giggling of his boys in the tent. When he opens his eyes, he sees his boys dressed and ready to go.

"Your alarm has gone off twice already." Julian informs him.

"Oh, why didn't you wake me? What time is it now?" Liam asks, voice still raw from sleep. He furrows his eyebrow as he sits up on the fold bed.

"A few minutes before breakfast." Devin shrugs.

With a groan, Liam wipes over his face and pulls the blanket off of himself. The boys are watching carefully but don't say a word. Liam stands up and gets dressed before he leads the way over the campground to the dining tent. Liam lets his kids enter first, before following Julian. They are walking down the aisle to reach the table where Charlie and her girls are already chewing on their buns.

Liam sits down next to Charlie and relaxes as he feels her leg leaning against his. "You seem pretty exhausted, is everything alright?" she asks warily, her eyes are softer than usual and she has a visible worried wrinkle in her forehead.

"Yeah, just- just couldn't sleep. The fold beds aren't the most comfortable." he sighs, it's only half a lie, the fold beds are really uncomfortable.

"I know, I am massaging my neck every morning to get rid of the knots." she agrees and circles her shoulders backwards.

Liam narrows his eyes "You don't have any plans after breakfast?"

The girl shakes her head "Nope. I am free." she grins.

"Well, you’re not free anymore. You have a date with my shoulders." He says and reaches for a bun.

Charlie starts laughing next to him. "I am looking forward to it"

After breakfast the boys decide to play some football on the field that have two provided goals. Liam sits down in the sun and stretches his legs while watching his boys kicking the ball around. He feels a presence sit down behind him and then two hands reach for his shoulders. Liam turns his head over his shoulder and smiles at Charlie. The girl starts kneading his shoulder blades with her fingers and the man lets his head drop forward with a smile. "This is nice." He sighs relieved.

" _Psst, Liam._ " A voice answers instead, it's almost a whisper to not startle the relaxed man. Liam doesn't have to look up to see who it is. It's Louis. "I'll be waiting behind your tent." he informs him and disappears as fast as he had come.

"I'll be using the bathroom real quick, can you watch over my boys?" He asks Charlie.

"Of course." she replies and presses a kiss to Liam's cheek before dropping her fingers from the man's tense muscles.

Liam blushes and gets to his feet. He starts his way across the ground and takes one last look over his shoulder to make sure Charlie isn't watching him, before he turns left to the tents instead of right to the bathroom facility.

Liam meets Louis behind the tent, "The girl, was it Charlie?" he asks as he lays his arm securely around Liam's middle before shooting into the sky.

"Yes, Zayn isn't too fond of her, though." Liam points out.

Louis snickers "Why do you care if Zayn likes her not?"

Liam opens his mouth but closes it again to think of an answer. He doesn't have one, though. "I don't" He mumbles then.

"We all try to help you, Liam. But that only works if you trust us, and especially Zayn." Louis begins and takes a sharp curve to the right, the house would have been towards the left. "I want to show you something." he explains and starts to fly faster.

Liam can't keep his eyes open anymore, the wind is hitting his face too hard. The angel starts to slow down again and he opens his eyes. What he sees underneath him is not the forest where the camp is located.

"Welcome to _Naporia._ " Louis says with a soft smile.

"Is this where you are from?" Liam asks curious and looks at the movie-like landscape underneath him. There is a blue river curving through a green area, a waterfall is sending up a cloud of raindrops into the air; birds are singing happily around them.

"And you." Louis corrects with a smile.

"Do you see the skateboard ramp down there?" Louis asks and points with his finger into the distance. Liam narrows his eyes. He sees red feathers reflecting the sun light. "It's where Zayn's cousins spent most of their time, it's the only place that is theirs." Liam nods, but narrows his eyes. "He has three other cousins, they all have been banned from leaving Naporia. Lanzo is the last one they have banned." Louis continues and stops flying.

"Why are you telling me this?" Liam asks confused.

"You see how Zayn is the fifth in his _in-blood_ family and one of five in _ours_?"

“Five?” Liam asks confused.

“I counted you, too. You are one of us, now.” Louis explains. Liam bites away a smile, as Louis continues. "Zayn chose us to be his family because he is not like them. He is like me, Harry, Niall and _you_. One of the _good_ ones. That's why he is my best friend. He doesn't want to have anything to do with those who manipulate people to get what they want. Zayn wants to earn it with respect and hard work."

"But if all of his cousins are banned from leaving _Naporia_ , then he _did_ kidnap Charlie." Liam thinks out loud.

"You know, I can't tell you what to believe. But I can tell you that I have known Zayn for 19 years and I would set my wings on fire that Zayn didn't have anything to do with it." Louis says confident and starts to fly back.

Liam sighs "So are you saying that Charlie is lying?"

"No. But it could have been anything, there are not only angels and forest trolls in this forest down there who are able to cross the barrier, Liam."

Liam swallows thickly "I have met forest trolls and main coons, what else is there?" Liam asks curious.

"One step at a time, Liam." Louis says gentle and picks some speed up.

Liam looses the track of time, one moment he is up in the sky and the next he feels the ground underneath his feet again. He blinks at Louis who is smiling amused at him "You'll get used to it, now come on, they are waiting for us." he says and pulls Liam on his wrist after him into the house. They walk down the hall and towards the library. Louis opens the door and lets Liam enter before him.

"There you are." Zayn comes towards them "Where have you been?" he asks miffed and glares at his best friend.

"Calm down, we just had a talk." Louix replies and raises his hands in surrender.

"Ok." Harry interjects, getting all of the men attentions. "Liam, try and throw some books off the shelf." Harry instructs and points towards a wall shelf. Liam gives a nod and bites his lips before closing his eyes. Then he stretches his arm towards the wall.

He concentrates, this time the warm feeling in his body comes almost immediately. He can feel something, but it feels like it's being held back. Held back by a force pretty close to him. Liam tries harder; he feels his face heading up, feels the sweat forming on his skin. A light groan leaves his throat as he tries to push past the force. But he _can't_ until a breath hits his neck; until a hand is being laid down on his stretched out one, then he hears books tumbling down to the ground in loud thuds.

Liam opens his eyes and sees a dozen books on the floor. He looks around, Harry is watching with an open mouth, Niall is standing on his spot frozen and Louis' eyes are focused on him, then the room starts to spin and everything turns black. He can feel his body getting caught by strong arms, though.

"Liam." he hears quietly, it sounds so far away even though he can feel the breath from the words on his skin.

Liam is waiting to pass out, he hopes to pass out. He is in some kind of middle state right now, his stomach turns and he dry heaves onto the ground, nothing comes out though. His stomach feels foul and the throbbing that starts in his head is painful. "Liam!" he hears again and tries to focus on the words that hit his neck. His eyelids are half open but all he can see are a few random contorted shadows moving in slow motion.

Strong arms are still keeping him from falling onto the floor. "It's alright, I've got you." is echoing in his ear. He feels the throbbing in his head subside and the dizziness stops. He coughs a few times and sinks into the warmth behind him.

"Are you alright, Liam?" Zayn asks worried.

"Sush, give me moment." he replies weakly and allows Zayn to hold him.  

"Here is some water." Niall says and crouches down next to Liam where his upper body is still held firm in Zayn's arms. Liam opens his eyes to look into blue worried ones, then Zayn helps him to stand up with his arm still around Liam's middle to support him.

"Thank you, Niall." Liam smiles and takes a sip from the cool water.

Liam feels the water wetting his mouth, he feels the water swallowing down some liquid that had come into his throat from gagging. He takes a few deep inhales. Soon after, he feels the strength coming back into his legs, arms, eyelids and his lungs. "I am good." he tells everyone relieved.

Liam feels the grip around him loosening, he can't feel Zayn's touch anymore, but he still feels his presence behind him. Liam adjusts his feet to balance his own weight on his own two feet again.

"What did you feel?" Harry asks curious with a hint of worry, Liam locks eyes with him.

"It felt like my power was there, but it was being held back by something." he explains, voice unsure. "Until Zayn-" he cuts himself off.

"So. Zayn helped your power to free itself?" Harry furrows his eyebrows.

Liam shrugs "I don't know, I just know that something happened when Zayn touched me."

Harry sighs deeply and rubs his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger.

"That's good." Louis chimes in and walks over to Harry. "If Zayn is helping Liam to free his power, then all they have to do is practice some to make Liam's power stronger." he says excited.

Harry shakes his head "Louis, we don't know if-" Harry begins but gets cut off again.

"No, Harry. Don't think too far ahead. We see what works now and I think as long as Liam doesn't get a vision that this a bad idea, then we should go along with it." Louis says.

"Harry is right though, Louis. We don't know what the aftermath will be of this. Zayn does posses a kind of power too, like Liam. At the end it could do more bad than good." Niall adds.

All eyes are on Harry now, watching the youngest of them. "Why are you all looking at me? I am the youngest in this room and definitely not the one who might get a bite in the ass for this." he raises his hands.

 "But you are the wisest out of us." Zayn points out, followed by two agreeing nods from Louis and Niall.

"Liam, what do you think?" Zayn asks then.

"I don't know." Liam replies unsure and bites his lip as he looks over his shoulder to lock eyes with Zayn.

"Do you trust me?" Zayn asks gentle.

Liam is holding eye contact with the angel behind him and clenches his jaw for a short second before loosening it again, then he gives a slight nod. "Yeah, I guess I do." he says then.

 The wrinkles by Zayn's mouth turn up as a smile appears.

"Alright, then, let's try again." Harry's voice cuts through the air and breaks the moment that Liam and Zayn had. The two man drop their eye contact and focus on Harry who is watching them with a raised eyebrow. "Try to make one of the pillows fly over here." he instructs and points towards the couch that is standing behind them.

Liam and Zayn turn around, this time though, Zayn hooks his chin on top of Liam's shoulder before Liam stretches his arm out in front of him. Zayn stretches his arm out too and holds onto Liam's.

The power is bubbling through both of their bones and Liam feels his hair on his neck stand up. His eyes are open as he focuses his thoughts on one of the pillows that is laying on the couch. The power starts to tickle in the pit of his belly and then in his fingertips, it starts tickling where Zayn touches him and then the pillow rises up from the couch and flies over towards them. Liam starts to feel a numbness in his arm, his muscle twitch and the pillow drops down in front of them. He loses the feeling in his legs as well and lands in strong but soft arms.

His vision doesn't get blurry this time but everything seems to switch into slow motion for a moment. He hears his heart thumping slower than usual in his chest,

thud – thud – thud,

it sounds like a dull echo in the depth of a den. Liam can see Niall's mouth moving but the tone of his voice never makes it to his brain. The only thing Liam hears are his heartbeat and his blood flowing through his veins.

Slowly the movement of the lips he sees in fornt of him are carrying a sound to his ears, then the sounds become words and the words become sentences. He blinks a few times and waits a few more moments until the slow motion fades away.

"Is this normal for a learning witch?" Liam asks curious, his body is still resting against Zayn's for support.

Harry shakes his head and gives the same answer he has been giving quite a lot of times lately "I don't know. But I will figure it out and until then, we better stop." He suggests.

Zayn wants to disagree but the exhausted look Liam has written over his face stops him. "Alright." he agrees reluctant.

"Can I go back to camp then?" Liam questions.

"I am first giving you something against your fever." Harry points out and walks towards the room. Liam furrows his eyebrows until a shower of heat is perceptible in his body.

" _Oh_ " he realizes and wipes with his arm over his forehead.

"Come with me." Harry says and the witch follows his new friend out of the library and into his magic kitchen. "You are trusting Zayn again?" Harry mentions as he starts to prepare a drink.

Liam shrugs as he heaves himself on top of the table. "Yeah, I guess. I mean-"

"Does this have to do with Louis?" Harry questions without turning around.

"Well, yeah and no. He showed me Naporia and told me about Zayn's family there." Liam revises the trip with Louis.

"Well, Zayn's _blood_ _relatives_ , _we_ are his family." Harry says bitter.

 "I don't know what to believe, to be honest." Liam admits.

"What do you mean?" Harry turns around and hands Liam a cup.

"Everything." He sighs.

Liam drinks some of the water and pulls back to swallow. "Do you know- if maybe grandma Liane deserved it? Maybe I am the bad one." Liam questions.

Harry raises his eyebrow. "I doubt that." Harry shrugs

"You should probably stay and take a nap, you look exhausted." Harry adds and Liam agrees with a nod. Liam empties the cup and follows the angel out of the room. "You can lay down in the guest room, if you want to? It's in the third door on the left." he suggests.

Liam gives a smile and a thank you and walks up the stairs. As soon as his body makes contact with the bed, he falls into a dreamless sleep.

☼

The witch is being woken up by a shake on his shoulder. "Liam, you have to go back to camp." It's Niall.

Liam opens his eyes and stretches "Alright." he yawns and sits up. Liam can see Niall trying to bite back a giggle "What?" he asks sleepy and gets up off the bed.

 Niall shakes only his head with a smirk over his lips as a response and leads the older man out of the room and down the stairs. Liam pokes his head into the living room to say goodbye, but he stops himself when he sees the grins on the other men’s faces.

"What?" He asks defensive and frowns.

"Did you sleep well?" Harry bites his bottom lip as he grins from the couch across the room.

"Yea, really good actually. I'll see you guys later." Liam says and turns back around to follow Niall out of the room.

"What happened while I was asleep?" he questions Niall as they leave the house.

The man shrugs "You were sleeping in Zayn's bed." Niall explains with a smile and Liam blushes.

"Oh" he drops his eyes embarrassed. Now that he thinks about it, the smell from the sheets and the pillow did smell similar.

"The boys and me decided that it'd be for the better if we stop for today."

"Why?" Liam looks at him surprised.

"We don't want to risk anything. We need to figure out first why Zayn gets drawn to you when you use your power." Niall explains.

Niall flies Liam back to camp and the further they get away from the house and Zayn, the stronger Liam feels a string on his heart being pulled. It doesn't physically hurt, but mentally. They touch down and Niall gives him an encouraged smile "Take care" he says and shoots back into the sky, faster than he did with Liam.

Liam watches his friend disappear behind the clouds before he starts his way back to the football field where he had left his boys and Charlie.

☼

Zayn bites nervously on the side of his finger, the need to be around Liam has gotten stronger since their lesson this morning. He had felt it before, too, but he was able to control it. Now, though, after knowing that Liam trusts him again, he doesn't want to control it anymore.

"Zayn." Louis calls his friend, breaking him out of his busy mind.

Zayn looks to his side and sees his friend standing in the hallway. "I haven't seen you biting on your nails in years, what's got you all so worked up?" he questions.

"I don't know. I need some fresh air." he sighs and stands up.

"Behave!" Louis warns as he watches the back of Zayn disappear out of the room.

Zayn shoots into the sky and tries to fight against the invisible drag towards the camp but he can't, he isn't strong enough to fight against the draw that Liam has on him; that the witch has on him.

Zayn follows the pull towards the camp, wings spread wide open, red feathers dancing excitedly in the air. He flies down and hides his body behind Liam's tent. He can smell his clothes, the bag and the bed he sleeps on. Then Liam's laugh echos in his ears and the angel steps next to the tent, seeing Liam laughing happily with his boys. Charlie nowhere in sight. Zayn doesn't even try to hide the smile that spreads over his lips.

The boys are tumbling over Liam who is laying on the grass as the boys cheer joyful while they are tickling the older man everywhere where they can get their fingers on. "Guys, that's enough tickling for today." Liam laughs and tries to shove the kids off of him with amusement in his eyes.

Liam sees Zayn then and locks eyes with him, he gives a secret smile to the man who is invisible for everyone but him.

"Need help?" Zayn grins teasing as he steps forward.

Liam only blinks at him, knowing if he would speak up he might scare the kids off. People who talk to themselves always come of as creepy, and that's the last thing he needs while being an instructor for little kids.

Zayn snorts and sits down in front of Liam clearly enjoying it. He stretches his legs and rests his hands behind himself on the ground, his wings are still spread behind his back. "It's beautiful isn't it?" he beams and admires the nature around them. Liam is not taking his eyes off of the man in front of him, though.

A poke to his cheek is bringing him back to the five kids who are spread out on top of him. "What are you staring at?" Nobu asks confused. You mean _whom_ , Liam replies in his mind.

"There was just a bird." he lies.

The little kid narrows his eyes at the older man underneath him.

"Just a bird?" Zayn's voice is echoing in his ears. "I am offended. You mean a _beautiful_ bird." he continues with a grin.

"If you asked me, the bird was quite annoying, the others kept flying away from him." Liam replies witty.

Zayn's mouth drops open.

"What if it was a female bird, though." Julian wonders, changing the subject.

"Yeah what if it was a female bird." Zayn teases.

Liam rolls mentally his eyes at Zayn and smiles at the little boy. "You can tell birds apart by their colours." Liam lessons.

"But just because a bird looks male, doesn't mean they are male." Drew chimes in.

Liam puckers his lips "Yeah." he agrees then. "That's true."

Before long the bell strikes for lunch. "Let's go, the last one has to collect the plates after lunch!" Liam cheers and the kids climb off of him and run screaming towards the dining tent.

Liam shakes laughing his head as he watches them run, he was going to collect the plates anyways.

"You are doing a really good job." Zayn says, eyes watching softly the younger man as he gets to his feet.

"Thank you. I am trying. Julian and Drew have their moments."

"I saw that." Zayn replies, eyes sparkling by the way the sun hits him. He opens his mouth to continue but a voice cuts in.

"Liam!" It's Charlie.

Zayn inhales sharply and doesn't try to hide the groan that comes with the exhale.

"I'll see you." Liam whispers to the man next to him and makes his way towards the girl.

"What were you doing?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing, just needed a few moments to breath." he shakes it off and walks with her to the tent.

During dinner, when Charlie rests her leg against his and laughs at every other sentence, he feels – different. He feels like something is missing. The words the girl next to him is saying, don't reach his brain; his thoughts are stuck on Zayn, on the others as well, on the magic he was able to feel and use whenever Zayn was close. Maybe there is something connecting them, something stronger than he ever would have imagined. Something stronger than the other angels know.  

☼

Liam can't sleep. It's shortly after 11pm and he has been laying here since 9. It's not like Liam isn't tired, he is. He is exhausted and he could sleep for days. But the pull towards the angel is strong, it has him turning and twitching on the fold bed that creaks with every movement underneath him. He sits up and climbs out of bed. Liam is leaving the tent quietly and breathes; the pull is less disturbing here – the cool air is letting him relax a little bit. Liam lays down on the grass next to the tent, eyes becoming heavier but the drag in his chest is keeping him from falling asleep.

"You do realize that this isn't safe laying here in the open." a voice echos, the voice travels through his ear, into his brain.

He opens his eyes and smiles at the angel, without wings. "Hi." Liam begins and sits up so he is sitting next to the other man. "I couldn't sleep inside." he admits to the grass in front of him.

"Why not?" Zayn questions worried. "You look like you could sleep for weeks."

Liam gives a nod "I know, but-. I _can't._ " he repeats and looks up. His eyes lock with Zayn's.

"Why" Zayn asks and furrows one eyebrow.

"I don't know." Liam sighs but he can't look away from Zayn. "I feel like-" the man cuts himself off with a shake of his head and drops the eye contact.

Zayn tilts his head to the side "There is a pull in your chest, dragging you towards me?" he continues the sentence that Liam had stopped.

Liam looks up and exhales relieved "Yeah." So he is not the only one who feels _it_.

Zayn sucks his bottom lip between his teeth "I feel it, too." he admits.

"It always has been there-" Liam starts.

"But not as strong." Zayn finishes.

Liam gives another nod.

Zayn wants to touch, he wants to lean forward and cup Liam's soft face into his hands, tracing the rosy cheeks with his thumbs and kiss him, but he doesn't. Something inside of him tells him, to not cross that line. So he swallows the thought as his eyes are locked with the other man's. He gives him a tired smile. "You should get some sleep." he points out.

"I know." Liam yawns and gets to his feet.

"I will wait here until you fall asleep." Zayn says. Liam gives a thankful smile and stands up, he throws a goodnight over his shoulder before entering the tent.

He lays down on the fold bed and rolls on his side so he can watch the silhouette of the angel. Liam feels his eyes getting heavier, he blinks a few more times until he is too tired to keep his eyes open and then he is asleep.  

**  
**

#  Day Thirteen

 

Liam is walking across the camp grounds as the early morning sun is shining down on his face. A big smile is placed across his lips as he tilts his head upwards to catch the sunlight on his face. He feels the warmth of sun sinking through his skin into his body; the heat is relaxing his tense muscles.

"You are beautiful." Liam hears a soft voice echoing in his ears.

Liam opens his eyes and turns his head to look over his shoulder. He has to lower his eyes to the ground to see Zayn who is sitting behind him in the grass. A red-ish colour starts creeping over his cheeks as he locks eyes with the angel. "Shut up." he says, with an embarrassed grin over his lips.

"It's true, though." Zayn shrugs, without breaking eye contact. Liam turns around and takes a few steps towards the man before sitting down next to him.

"I doubt your great grandpa would agree." Liam points out.

Zayn laughs "He has been dead for 900 years, Liam. I don't give a fuck if he is turning around in his grave right now or not. And it's because of him, I am what I am. I hate him." Zayn sighs.

"Don't say that." Liam argues.

"Liam, he killed someone – no, he just didn't killanyone, he killed the witch, _your_ great grandma."

Liam shrugs and rests his chin on his knees "What if she deserved it, though." he questions. Zayn shakes his head and opens his mouth to say something but stops himself. "Wanna go on a walk?" he asks instead.

Liam wants to say yes, he wants to know more about his family and Liane and Zayn. He is curious about their common past that seems to be a secret. But he can't.

"I have to get the boys ready." He says and makes a head gesture towards the tent.

Zayn gives a disappointed nod "Alright, I'll pick you up tonight after dinner." Zayn says then and gets to his feet.

"What about-" Liam starts but is cut off by a girly voice.

"Good morning, babe. You are an early riser?" Charlie says brightly as she is on her way over.

Liam swallows thickly as he hears Zayn mumble a reply that _Harry isn't comfortable with the idea to continue the training_ and then he is gone; leaving an empty spot next to Liam and inside of Liam's heart. He puts on a smile though and let Charlie press a kiss to his lips as she leans down.

"I am." he responds and stands up.

"Liam?" he hears a soft and still tired voice before he sees Devin's head poking out of the tent.

"Good morning." Liam says with a smile, he hopes Charlie doesn't catch on to his relieved sigh after the little boy had interrupted them.

"Well, then. I guess your responsibility is calling you." Charlie winks at him.

"I'll see you at breakfast." she adds with a smile and walks away.

Liam follows Devin back into the tent to wake up the other kids before they start the day.

☼

"So, Zayn is out and about and Niall was called to an car accident." Louis informs Harry as he sits down next to his friend on the couch in the library. Harry looks up from the book on his lap and looks to his side to face Louis.

"So, four less eyes to help." Harry replies.

Louis pouts "Liam is fine. I am sure one hour won't change that." he says and takes the book off of Harry's lap and places it on the couch table in front of them.

"Louis-" Harry starts but the other man cuts him off.

"How about we are going on a ride in the water flow leading down the waterfall. Let's have some fun. The ride will take about ten minutes and then we can dry on our way to the Naporia library." he suggests excited. His eyes are sparkling back at Harry.

Harry chuckles as his eyes are locked with Louis', unable to look away from the other man's joy. "Alright. But only one ride." Harry agrees and Louis jumps to his feet.

The two men change into some swimming trunks, a pair of shorts and a tee before they are leaving the house. "I bet I am still faster than you!" The older one challenges as he spreads his wings.

"We will see that!" Harry teases and spreads his wings while he is jumping into the air to fly away.

"Cheater!" Harry hears from below him. He laughs as he looks down on Louis who is speeding up.

"You know what, I actually wanted to let you win but you can forget that now!" Louis sticks his tongue as he flies past his friend.

Harry's laugh is echoing through the morning air as he follows the other angel. They speed up to crash through the barrier to enter Naporia. Harry is still chasing after Louis with a loud laugh. The older one is flying ahead but looks back to watch his Harry with a smile. They are coming closer to the waterfall and lower their height. Both slower their speed to get rid of their shirts and shorts before dropping them onto the green grass on their way, before gaining height again to fly up the waterfall.

"Come on, Harry!" Louis urges the other angel on.

"I like the view from back here, thanks!" Harry's deep voice echoes from behind him.

Louis blushes as he looks backwards and gives the other man a smile "Cheeky!" He grins. Harry snickers in response and speeds up to fly next to Louis. They follow the water underneath them towards a forest, from up here all they see is darkness caused by the trees. It's a part of their world that everyone stays away from. There are so many stories and tales of  brave creatures but none of them came ever back.

Harry and Louis let themselves down into the water, their wings are forming a secure bowl that prevents them from drowning. The strong water flow leads them along a path with curves and rapids. More than enough, they bump into each other and even overtake each other with a loud cheer of triumph. The waterfall is coming into ear shot and the two men beam at each other

"It looks like I am going to win!" Harry beams at the other angel, he is a little bit ahead of Louis.

Louis grins at his friend "Hey, we aren't down there, yet!"

And then Harry is already screaming with joy when he is dropping down the waterfall, his wings tucked to his back, ready to catch him secure on the water surface, but Louis is passing him halfway down and leaves an "I won!" on his way. Then, Harry can hear the splash of the water from his friend and then he follows.

"So, what does the winner get?" Louis sighs relieved and closes his eyes as he lets the water carry him through the water pitch on his wings.

"Nothing, I feel like the loser should get a consolation prize, though." Harry pouts, smile hearable in his words.

Louis snorts. "You didn't lose, Haz. You were second. Which is also a win."

"Well, then. The 1st winner is not going to get anything because they already won. I still think the second should get a consolation prize."

Louis bites his lip "What do you want, then?" He hears water splashing somewhere around him and then his shoulders collide with something that stops him from floating. He opens his eyes and sees Harry looking down on him. The taller man is standing in the water, they must have floated towards the shallower water where they can reach the ground. The water is reaching Harry's chest, which leaves Louis pretty close to his face.

"Oops!" Harry breathes.

"Hi!" Louis replies quietly as their eyes lock.

Harry leans down and presses his lips to Louis'.

"I like this consolation prize." Louis points out in between their soft kisses. "You can come second more often, I wouldn't mind." he adds.

Harry giggles against his lips. "I thought so."

Louis slings his arms around Harry's neck to keep him close and deepens the kiss.

The quiet moment between them doesn't last long – they are being interrupted by giggles. The two pull away from each other and see two water nymphs sunbathing on a rock near the waterfall. Louis and Harry blush as they turn around to spot to the two creatures in the distance.

They fly over to the big rock. "Hi, how are you guys." Louis asks.

"Good." The girl says, she has raven hair laying over her shoulder and her purple fish tail is sparkling in the late morning sun light.

"I am doing fantastic." the one next to the girl beams at the two angels.

"Your new haircut looks great, Paul." Harry complements him.

"Thank you." Paul smiles happily at him.

”Your hair is shorter, isn’t it?” Louis points out.

“Yes” the boy beams back at him.

"And what are you two doing? Best friend bonding time?" The girl wiggles her eyebrows teasing.

Louis blushes "No, we were just – you know." he stumbles over his own words.

"Actually we were on our way to the library." Harry cuts in.

"We saw that." the boy says teasing.

Harry rubs the back of his head. "Yeah, we were just on our way." he says and spreads his wings to fly, Louis mirrors him.

"It was nice seeing you, two!" Harry adds.

"You too." the water nymphs smile.

"Watch out for your little brother, Tjaša!" Louis says before he starts to hover where he just stood.

"Always!" the girl nods.

The two angels say their goodbyes and fly back to the land to grab their clothes and then they disappear behind the clouds.

It's a few minutes after noon when they reach the big library. The two angels greet everyone with a smile as they walk into the big room. A few dozen angels are flying around, another dozen are sitting at the tables on the ground floor; students are hunched over books, adults are reading curiously the pages in front of them. Kids are sitting on their parent's laps as they read them a story and angels in uniforms are bringing books for other creatures.

Louis used to work part time here while he was a student. Flying up and down, trying to find the right book the Centaur, Main Coon, or Forest Troll needed. It wasn't the best job, but it was enough to buy all the unnecessary stuff 14 to 18 year old Louis thought was important.

The men start flying towards the History section. Louis sighs at the long bookshelf. "What exactly are we looking for?" he questions.

Harry shrugs. "I don't know"

The hours pass by, their wrists start to hurt by pulling books out, opening them, skipping through random pages in hope to find anything helpful before closing it again and pushing it back into the spot where they had taken them out. It feels endless until Harry's voice cuts through the air.

"Here!" Harry exclaims excited as he has his finger locked on a line in the book as he flies over to Louis. " _With the dead of the witch, the star that once burnt in the heart of the killer, turned to dust. May they never have a star in their chest again until the bad is dead."_ he reads out loud.

Louis furrows his eyebrows "What does it mean _the heart of the killer turned to dust_?" he questions confused.

"I think they are talking about the curse." Harry shrugs. "We need to find out more about the curse. Maybe it will help us understand why Zayn is getting drawn to Liam." he adds.

"We don't have the time to look into every book and see if there is anything to find about the curse." Louis continues.

"I know. We also can't ask for help, or else people will ask questions. Especially if _we_ do it."

The two men share an hopeless sigh as they are thinking about their next step.

"I think I know someone who could help us." Harry interrupts their silent moment.

"Who?" Louis furrows confused his eyebrows.

A dimple smile crosses Harry lips "You'll see." he says and puts the book back before flying past Louis, he curls his fingers around Louis' wrist before he pulls him after him.

"Come!" He says and leads the way back down to the ground. As soon as their feet touch the floor of the building, they are running.

"Harry!" Louis laughs amused at his friend's sudden hurry and excitement. He wants to kiss him right now, he really really does.

"Louis! Harry!" A deep voice stops them.

Harry and Louis come to an abrupt halt and turn around. As Louis locks eyes with his father he drops Harry's hand. His hand suddenly feels cold and empty and so does his heart. By the expression of his father he can tell that he saw their joined hands. He sucks his bottom lips between his teeth.

"Hi dad" Louis says. "Sorry, but Harry and me are in a rush." he adds, and makes a gesture towards the exit.

"I can see that." Daniel narrows his eyes at his son. "I miss you." he says then.

Louis furrows his eyebrow as he exhales a breath he didn't know he was holding. "You wouldn't have to if you would treat my best friend differently." he says annoyed.

"Louis!" Daniel sighs deeply and takes a step towards his son. "I don't want you to get dragged into Zayn's past. Something is going on, something’s _not right._ " he holds eye contact with Louis.

"I know dad. But it is not Zayn's past. It is Zaahir's. Zayn is not the bad one." Louis replies.

"But it is in his blood, he is the youngest from his family. Something is going to happen and I don't want you to be near him when it does."

Louis clenches his jaw, he can feel Harry's hand shaking next to his. Louis swallows thickly. "What do you know?" he questions and curls his fingers into a fist.

"Trust me, if I would know anything, I would have long brought him away from you. But I know without an explanation you would hate me for it."

"Don't even think about taking Zayn. Don't!" Louis yells at him, he spreads his wings and takes Harry's hand before he flies both of them through the air and out of the building.

Louis can hear his heart hammering in his chest, he can hear the blood streaming through his brain.

"Louis!" Harry stops them in the air. "Louis." he repeats, calmer and more gentle this time. He turns the older one around so they are face to face. Harry cups Louis' face between his hands. "Nothing will happen to Zayn." he promises.

"He is my brother, Harry." Louis says, his voice breaking halfway through.

Harry presses his lips together and flies both to the ground where the younger one pulls Louis into his arms. "Your dad says he doesn't know what is going on, so we are still a few steps ahead of him." He says. Louis nods.

"Do you know the club downtown, Virna's Angels?" Harry questions. Louis nods as he wipes over his face to calm himself down. The soothing circles that Harry's hand is rubbing over his back is helping too.

"Yeah, isn't it a night club?"

"It is. Virna used to be a friend of my mom and I spent a lot of time with her. She studied the history of Naporia and wanted to become a teacher in her 20s until she decided to open up a club."

Louis nods "Alright. But I'd like to check on Zayn first."

"I know." Harry replies and drops his head.

"Hey." Louis says quietly and takes a step closer to his friend. This time it's Louis who is taking Harry's face into his palms. Blue meets green. "He is my brother, I- I don't want to lose you again." he says worried. His eyes jump back and forth between Harry's before he leans down and presses his lips to Harry's. He sighs relieved when he feels Harry's lips press against his own.

"Now let's check on Zayn before he ends up bringing himself into trouble" Harry says with a hint of amusement in his voice and pulls away.

The flight back to the house takes about 5 minutes. As they cross the entrance hall, Zayn is walking towards them. "Hey, have you found out anything new?" He asks curious.

"Nothing specific. We are going back and visit an old friend of mine." Harry replies.

"And you are staying here. No leaving the house." Louis warns with a pointed finger at his friend.

Zayn furrows his eyebrow "But-"

 "No. It is only a matter of time until the angels know about Liam. The more time you spent with Liam, the faster they will figure it out." Louis says stern.

"But-" Zayn tries again.

"No!" Louis repeats, eyes locked with Zayn's who sighs in response.

"Niall!" Harry calls into the house and the blond angel is entering the entrance hall through the living room door.

"Zayn is grounded for now." he says.

Zayn crosses his arms over of his chest and frowns. "But-" he tries one more time,

"We will be back later." Harry interrupts him.

"Fine. _Dads._ " Zayn rolls his eyes and disappears into the living room.

"It's for Liam's safety!" Louis calls after his friend. "Don't do anything stupid or I swear I will kill you with my own two hands!" he adds.

In that moment his shorts fall down to the ground, leaving him in only his swimming trunks. "Very mature of you!" Louis says loud enough for Zayn to hear, as he pulls his shorts back up.

Niall snorts as he follows Zayn.

Harry watches him amused. "Let's go!" he says with a grin on his lips

☼

They are standing in front of the club, the neon lights, spelling **_Virna's Angels_** are lit up in the colour of the rainbow. The building would looks deserted if it wouldn't be for the random colour lights that are seen through the window in the door.  "I have been living my whole life in Naporia and I have never been in this part of the city in my life." Louis says.

"I haven't been here in so long. I wonder how much has changed." Harry says happily.

Louis sees a sparkle in his friend's eyes that he never has seen before. "Alright, then, let's go inside." Louis says and follows Harry.

As soon as Harry opens the door, loud music is welcoming them inside. The door falls shut behind them and the bass starts to vibrate through their bodies. There is a narrow hallway with dark walls leading them down a path before they turn right into a big room. The music is louder, the lights are brighter and a couple dozen of bodies are dancing. Others are sitting on maroon leather furnitures while watching the stage. It's only now, when Louis turns his head that he sees two Drag Queens on stage. Their hair are big and massive, one has blond hair the other one has red hair. Their eye makeup is exaggerated but it looks good. Louis can tell how carefully and precise every line was drawn.

The two women on stage are lip syncing to a song that Louis has never heard before while they are moving on stage like they were born to do nothing else.

"Do you wanna watch the show or come with me?" he hears Harry's voice in his ear. He can also feel the breath on his ear shell.

Louis doesn't respond, he can't drop his eyes from the stage. He is amazed at how the women move their bodies, how they are moving their mouths along the words, how their tongues poke out at the same time and wipe over their upper lips before they send a red lipstick kiss into their mic's. The sound fills the room, it lingers in Louis' ears until the red haired one is winking at him.

Louis' mouth drops open, his eyes are still frozen on the woman; he is unable to look away. His eyes follow her, she is stepping down a few steps to get into the crowd. He watches her dance with a few creatures by passing them and then she is coming over to him. Louis catches his breath as she steps closer and closer.

He can't swallow. Can't blink.

Her eyelashes are almost reaching the ceiling, well not literally but they are _long_.

He can see the purple eyeshadow that is covering her eyes, the eyeliner is reaching towards her eyebrow and curls into a ball where the hair end. Her body is getting closer to his. They are face to face before she steps behind him, using her finger tip to leave a track on his shoulder. Louis shudders as he feels the long fingernail dig into him through his tee.

The woman appears on his other side, red thick lips are right in front of him, he can smell the scent of lipstick and perfume and make-up. The song comes to an end and the white spot light is on him and the red haired woman and he still can't breath.

The woman turns around to where Harry must be "Well, if your friend won't say anything to me, Hi Eddy!" she says with a slow and deep voice.

Eddy?

"Miss Marissa!" Harry greets the woman, dimples are framing his lips as he hugs her. "How are you?" he adds.

"Like you see, I am doing fabulous. Though I am not sure about your friend." She says amused and a bit worried as she cups Louis' chin between her thumb and the pointer finger. "He is cute. I have always said you have a good taste." she teases.

Harry coughs and blushes a bit. "Yeah, uhm, we are _friends._ " he answers.

The woman drops laughing her hand from Louis and looks over her shoulder at Harry and gives him a raised eyebrow before her hand flies into the air. "Roni, babe!" She calls out and smiles as she sees the other woman walking over. "Look who is paying us a visit!" She says and turns Harry around.

Harry laughs as the other woman opens her arms and tucks him into her arms. "Eddy, love!" she coos and squeezes the tall but bony man  against her body.

"Roni, you and Miss Marisa smashed it. Like always."

"Thank you, Eddy. We miss you around here." Roni replies with a frown. Her make-up is indicial to the other Drag Queen's.

"I have been really busy." Harry apologizes.

"I see." Roni wiggles her eyebrows and looks towards Louis.

"Is Virna in her office?" Harry asks then.

"She is. You know the way. We still have half an hour of work." Miss Marisa says.

 "Can you stay? I'd love to have a chat or two. Maybe your friend will be able to talk by then?" Roni says amused, eyebrow raised at Louis.

Harry turns around to face his friend. "Yeah, I hope so." he replies a bit worried now. "See you, later." Harry waves goodbye as the two walk away to mingle with the customers.

Harry sighs at his friend and takes a step closer to him. He raises his hand and slaps his cheek, not too hard but hard enough for the calp to be hearable.

"You know them?" is the first thing Louis says. His eyes focus back on Harry, the pain in his jaw is bearable.

"I do." Harry nods and leads the way through the club.

"Why are they calling you Eddy?" Louis questions.

"It was my performer name." He shrugs.

"You did drag?" Louis eyes widen.

"No. Not me, but I used to perform here, with the Drag Queens." He replies as he leads Louis towards a door that says _Staff only_.

They are entering a room, it's not a big one. A mirror is stuck in the middle of the wall, leading all the way from one end of the wall to the other. Light bulbs are framing it. A board is attached to the wall underneath the mirror, also leading from one end of the wall to the other. Five chairs are placed in front it and a few clothes rags which are covered with clothes of every colour and form. There are two fake heads standing next to each other on the board.

Harry gives him a smile "Come on, Lou." He says fondly and reaches for Louis' wrist to pull him through the room. They leave the room through the other side and come into another hallway. The first door to his left says bathroom, they pass a stairway to their right leading up, but they are walking past it.

They reach the end of the hallway, on their left is a door with a red plush scarf framing the upper door frame. Harry's smile grows wider as he knocks, it's a similar rhythm that Louis had heard Harry hum and whistle many times. The door flings open. A woman is standing there, white short hair, a few aging wrinkles around her eyes. As soon as her eyes land on Harry, a smile comes over her cherry red lips before she pulls the man into her arms.

"Harry!" She says happily and pulls him into the room. Louis follows them.

"Hi, Virna." He says, Louis can hear the love for the woman in only those two words.

"Don't ever leave me alone for so long, ever again. It's been _weeks._ "

"Sorry" he apologizes, and he means it. The two pull away from each other and look at Louis, who is standing unsure in the threshold.

"Come on inside, you must be Louis?" the woman greets him and steps towards him.

Louis blinks and looks over to Harry who smiles. "Yeah, I guess. That's me." he replies.

"Nice to finally get to meet you in person." She says excited and shuts the door. "Harry hasn't stopped talking about you ever since he met you." The woman teases and Harry blushes. "I am so glad that he finally has found a family outside of this club. You take good care of him, I hope?" She rambles and sits down on a yellow couch in front of a window.

"I am trying my best." He says.

"Sit, please." she pats the couch next to her and the two man sit down.

"What brings you two here?" She asks, blue eyes looking back and forth between Louis and Harry.

"It's about the curse." Harry begins. The happy and relaxed face from the woman falls.

"Harry." She starts and takes his hands into her older ones. "I know you are worried about your friend." She swallows "But we shouldn't mess with destiny." she continues.

Harry narrows his eyes, so does Louis.

The woman jumps to her feet "I can't tell you anything. I promised your mother to keep all of this away from you."

"My mom?" Harry stands up as well.

Virna bites nervously on her lip before darting her eyes to the door. "I can't tell you anything, but- You should come to the show tonight. At 10. But come _without_ Zayn." She says, eyes locked with Harry. Her facial expression is a mixture of worry and regret.

"Alright. Thank you." Harry says and watches Virna sitting back down.

"I don't know what is happening, but be careful. Creatures are crossing the barrier, something is happening. The stolen eye is only the beginning. Take care of yourselves. And Zayn-"

Louis furrows his eyebrows as he locks eyes with her.

Virna walks over to him and lays her hands on Louis' shoulder. "From what I have heard, he is a really good guy. I don't doubt that for a second. But there are powers out there, that he doesn't know about, powers that _we_ don't know about. Powers that are bad and influence him without him knowing it." she says. Louis swallows thickly.

The woman goes back to Harry and takes his hands into her older ones. "Harry promise me, whenever you feel that something is off, come with all of your friends here. I can only protect you if you are here."

Harry nods slightly. "I will." He says.

"Promise it." She pushes, her eyes are locked with Harry's.

"I promise." he replies.

She exhales a long breath and stands back up. "Tonight at 10pm, that's all I can tell you." She says.

Harry stands up "Thank you." He says and gives the woman another tight hug.

"Please take care of yourselves." she pulls away from Harry and locks eyes with Louis who is standing by the the couch. "And each other" she adds that part to Louis who gives a nod before she lets go of Harry to embrace Louis in a hug, too. "I can feel that you have a strong connection with him, take good care of it. He needs you." she says quietly into his neck. "I have to go back to work, but come by soon again." she adds louder for both of them to hear.

The two men smile and leave the room side by side. When they enter the dressing room again they see two men talking in hushed voices. One of them is sitting on the chair and the other one is standing behind him, fingers kneading the other man's shoulders.

"You two are still as in love as you were 10 years ago." Harry says fond from the threshold.

The two men turn around and smile "Yeah, we are." The sitting one says. Louis recognizes the voice. It's the voice from Roni.

The other man leans forward and slings his arms around the man. "We have our ups and downs." he replies and they exchange a sweet peck.

"Are they always like this?" Louis leans forward into Harry.

"Yep." he grins and sits down in one of the chairs, Louis choses the one next to Harry. The older one scoots his chair closer to Harry and leans his knee against his, it is for comforting reasons only.

Harry gives him a soft smile and leans his leg against his, too.

"It is so comforting to hear you talk, Harry's friend. I got a bit worried earlier." the one, with the voice from Miss Marisa says.

Louis blushes.

"Noah, cut it down, it was his first time." the one who is sitting says gently.

Noah chuckles and looks over at Louis who is biting his lip to hide his embarrassed smile. It doesn't work, though. "We just wanted to go out and grab something for dinner, you want to join? We’re paying" the sitting one suggests.

Harry and Louis agree and follow the two men out of the room.

☼

As the day comes to an end, Liam wonders if Zayn is still planning on showing up. It's shortly after 9pm and the sun is sinking lower on the horizon. He is laying on his back, enjoying the last rays of sunshine on his skin as a presence sits down next to him. He opens his eyes and watches Zayn's profile from where he is layin on the grass.

"Are you going to get up or do you just want to look at me?" Zayn's voice cuts through the silence.

Liam blushes and sits up. "You are beautiful." he says.

Zayn turns his head and raises amused his eyebrow "If you say so." he replies and Liam darts his eyes to the red wings, the feathers are swaying happily back and forth.

"Can I-?" Liam questions and bites his lips as his eyes are focused on the angel's wings.

"No." Zayn mumbles under his breath and folds the wings inwards.

Liam's eyes jump to the other man who has his eyes still focused in the air in front him. Liam frowns "They are beautiful, Zayn." he says.

"No, Liam." Zayn shakes his head with a dry chuckle. "They are ugly, they represent something ugly, something tragic, something that my family had to live with for almost 900 years. It's a curse, a revenge for something that my ancestor did. Red is bad, Liam. It means danger, blood and rage."

Liam follows Zayn's frozen eyes. "Red means, leadership, willpower and strength and courage" he adds.

"That's not why Liane cursed my family." Zayn argues.

"I don't care what my great grandma cursed your family for. It's been 900 years, and anyways. You chose to live with Louis and the others." Liam says.

Finally, Zayn looks over at Liam. "Louis took me to Naporia and told me that you left your family." Liam explains.

Zayn shakes his head "They are not family, Liam. My family are Louis, Niall and Harry."

"See, that's what your red wings stand for. You have willpower, Zayn." Liam says softly.

Zayn sucks his bottom lip between his teeth "I don't have willpower, Liam." he sighs, eyes locked with Liam. Zayn reaches one of his hands out to cup the witch's cheek with it. Liam furrows his eyebrow at him, eyes jumping back and forth between Zayn's. "I can't bring myself to stay away from you, red stands for lust and desire and heat."

Liam can hear the huffs that leave his mouth, "It also stands for love, romance and passion."

"And longing. I am forever doomed with wanting what I can't have." Zayn inhales sharply.

Liam blinks at the man next to him. "You wanted to show me something?" Liam blurts out before he could stop it. He’s never been good with consoling others, especially not cursed angels.

Zayn places a smile on his lips though and jumps to his feet "Right, let's go!"  he says.

Liam chuckles at the man as he stands up and follows Zayn into the forest. They are walking next to each other, side by side, their shoulders brush with every other step.

"Zayn?" Liam questions quietly. The angel hums in acknowledgement but keeps his eyes forward. "What makes you believe that it is _me._ " Liam finishes.

"The signs." Zayn replies gentle. "The signals Louis' family was able to spot, the fact that the origin of the power from their family was stolen and the fact that the other creatures found you. They can smell your power through the barrier."

"I can leave. Tell me to leave. I would leave right now." Liam says.

"No, they are going to follow you and as long as the eye is not back, the creatures will be able to pass the barrier as they please."

They are continuing their way through the slowly dimming forest. "What if they find me? Will they kill me?" Liam questions, the words are falling easier over his tongue than he had expected.

"No, I am not going to let that happen." Zayn replies determined.

"But what if they are going to attack me on the way home or once I am home-" Suddenly the angel stops in his way and turns aggressively, he pushes Liam against the nearest tree and locks eyes with him. Liam feels like he is looking into fire. He swallows thickly as his eyeballs jump back and forth between Zayn's.

"Don't say that." Zayn grunts. " _Don't_ " He groans deeply out of his throat and leans his arm against the rough bark of the tree next to Liam's head and rests his forehead against Liam's shoulder. Their bodies are touching and Liam doesn't move, he closes his eyes and inhales Zayn's scent instead. The red feathers are sparkling behind Zayn's back.

"I am just scared that I am not going to be able to defend myself, I am scared that they will get me and-"

"As long as I am here, you don't have to worry, Liam." Zayn says softly. "Trust me, please. Believe me." he pleads.

"I do. But would you leave Louis, Niall and Harry to come with me?" he asks nervously.

Zayn leans back and takes Liam's hands into his. "I would go to the end of the world with you, to make sure you are ok." he says seriously and takes Liam's face into his palm. At that, Liam switches his eyes to the man in front of him. "But I can't leave." he says, voice breaking. "That's why you need to learn to use your power to protect yourself."

"I can't do it though, Zayn. I can't. Not without you."

"Of course you can." Zayn argues. "You are a great grandchild of Liane, the most powerful witch that ever existed. It's in your veins, in your bones, in your brain. And in your heart." he whispers and gentle drops his hands to the witch's shoulders to pull him away from the tree. "Make the top of the tree move." Zayn says and gestures to the tree closest to them.

Liam wants to argue, but he feels the tickling in his fingertips already. The brown in Zayn's eyes is making him feel safe. So he stretches his arm out, takes a deep breath and focuses his eyes on the green leaves. The witch starts to feel hot as the weight of his arm gets heavier and heavier. Then, a body is clinging to his back and he feels a comfortable rush of blood going from his heart to his fingertip and then the sound of leaves brushing against each other fills his ears.

It's the first time that Liam doesn't feel weak in his knees after using his power. His body is leaning against the strong body behind him as the soft and even breathing from the angel is hitting the side of his neck.

"See, I needed you." Liam says and drops his hand before stepping out of Zayn's embrace.

Zayn lets him go. "But you haven't broken down like you have the previous times." he points out and continues to walk through the forest. Liam follows him.

"Where are we going?" Liam questions then.

"To a place that has a big significance to your past." he replies.

Liam furrows his eyebrow but continues to follow Zayn. The way goes uphill a bit and they reach the top. There is only one naked tree standing lonely in a shimmer of the moon light.

"What is that?" Liam wonders curious and takes a step closer to the tree. It looks like every branch has purposely grown that way. Liam notices that Zayn isn't following him and turns around. "Why aren't you coming?" he wonders suspicious.

Zayn grins at him "This is your past, Liam. Not mine."

Liam furrows his eyebrow and takes another step closer to the tree. "It's a tree, Zayn." he says bored as his attention is focused on Zayn who is still standing a bit further away. Too far away for Liam's liking, if he is being honest.

He spots a smile creeping on Zayn's lips and then he feels it, a bump against his shoulder. Liam jumps backwards with a yelp and eyes the tree. The creature shies away from his fast movement and huffs into Liam's face while doing so. The head is tilted to its side. It looks like a dragon. The face made of branches is leaning down to get closer to Liam as a quiet whine is leaving the tree's mouth. Liam stares at it, eyes wide, mouth open as he watches the branches of the tree move.

"Zayn, what is this!" Liam says frightened as he is frozen on the spot as the tree-dragon is sniffing on him.

"A tree that grew out of your great grandma." he says and takes a slowly step forward.

"What?" Liam jumps back, away from the face of the tree. "Is this her ghost?" he asks panicked.

Zayn laughs "Don't be ridiculous Liam. Her ashes were being used as seeds. If anything happens, this dragon will protect you." Zayn replies.

"It's a moving tree, Zayn." Liam  responds.

The angel snorts. "The only moving tree that exists, to be specific. Your great grandma really thought of everything after cursing my family."

"But what's the point of cursing your family and at the same time bringing her own children in danger?" Liam wonders out loud, eyes focused on the moving tree as he dares to take a brave step forwards.

"That is a question everyone wonders, to be honest." Zayn says as he watches Liam stepping closer to the tree with a smile on his lips.

Liam reaches his hand out and lays it onto the wide branch that looks like the forehead. The tree shudders at the touch and rubs his forehead against Liam's skin. "He likes me." he points out with a chuckle.

Zayn snorts "Of course he does, you are his family."

Liam smiles as he pets the tree, if the dragon lookalike tree wouldn't  look so much like a phantasy animal, then Liam would feel weird. But he doesn't.

"You should try again." Zayn says. Liam looks away from the dragon and turns his head to look at the other man. Liam gives a nod and steps away from the tree. "Tell me what to do" He requests with a shrug and looks around.

"Here, try to make that stick fly." Zayn points out. Liam nods once more and focuses on the vine. He closes his eyes, holds his hand out and feels the power making its way through his body. It's different though, something is different. The moment breaks right before Zayn can reach him. He still feels the power stuck in his fingertips but it won't come out.

"What happened?" Zayn furrows confused his eyebrow. He is only a few steps away from Liam. "I don't know, it feels like my power got stuck in my fingertips, usually it gets free once you are closer." he says.

"I think you should get some sleep." Zayn says worried.

Liam yawns in response but doesn't reply, he doesn't want to leave Zayn, not yet. "Come on, I'll fly you back. The time doesn't freeze while we are out here."

Liam wants to ask if they can just go back to the house and stay there for a while, but he isn't sure how Zayn will take it. He isn't even sure himself why he suddenly feels so attached to the angel, after everything that had happened.

Liam gives a nod though and glances once more to the tree before walking towards Zayn. He captures Liam gentle in his arms before flying into the sky to bring him back to camp.

The flight was too quick if you asked Liam but he had to go back. There is only a short amount of time he can excuse his absence by being stuck on the toilet.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, then." Zayn says under his breath, they are close.

"Thank you for showing me the –tree." Liam says, eyes jumping back and forth between Zayn's.

"No need to thank me. It means a lot to me that you trust me again."

Liam bites his bottom lip and drifts his eyes to the ground.

"Liam, I did not take Charlie." he says, voice desperate, he _needs_ Liam to believe him.

"Will you stay here for the night?" Liam questions to avoid answering Zayn.

"Of course." He nods like it is the most obvious thing in the world.

Liam licks his lips before taking a step back. "Goodnight" he says.

"Goodnight" Zayn returns and watches Liam walk towards the tent.

Neither of them notice the two shadows watching them.

Liam lays in bed that night, eyes watching the angel's shadow through the thin layer. He watches it until he can't keep his eyes open any longer.

☼

The club starts to fill and Louis, Harry, Ian and Noah are sitting on one of the maroon leather furnitures, facing the stage.

The room darkens and one light is focused on a spot on the dark stage. The music starts playing, it's a happy and light one. A Drag Queen enters the spotlight, she is wearing high heels long enough to stab someone with. Brown hair so long, the tips of the hair are seen behind her legs. She is dancing with a broom, pretending to clean the stage.

Someone else enters the stage, white fake wings on their shoulder, it's a man holding a sword, you can tell it's a simple one made of plastic. The music changes to a beat that sounds like a heartbeat,  it matches with Louis' own.  As he watches, the heartbeat becomes louder and louder with every step that the man is taking towards the woman. The music stops as the two actors on stage see each other. The eyes from the woman fly to the fake sword and then back at the man. The heart beat starts up again, getting faster and faster until – the man shoves the sword between the woman's arm and her body.

The heartbeat stops as the woman falls to the ground. The lights turn out for a moment, and then a red light falls over the man, making his white feathers look red. The man pulls the woman off stage by her feet, the red light follows them until they are behind the curtain. The heartbeat starts again, this time a younger looking man is entering the stage, the red light is following him.

From the other side a woman enters the stage. The music turns into a soft and happy melody as the two interact in a dance but every time the man takes a step closer, the woman takes a step back and the music changes into a melodramatic melody until the woman is gone. The man in the red light starts to fold into himself on the ground before another man enters the stage.

The man looks up and gets back to his feet and starts dancing with him. The two are dancing for a moment, the man in a white light is trying to keep the man on a distance, before he also leaves. The music turns sad as various actors enter the stage from all sides, every time the man in the red light finds a new dance partner the music changes into a happy melody but everyone is always keeping him on distance. The man in red falls to his knees as he watches everyone around him finding a partner to dance with but he stays alone.

The lights go out and the audience erupts into cheers. As the lights turn back on everyone who was seen is back on stage and bowing with big smiles on their faces. Harry and Louis though, are looking at each other. Was that the answer to their question. The two leave the building, to get away from the loud cheers.

" _The_ _heart_ _turns_ _to_ _dust_ ; Of course, there is no love in the heart. That's why no one is staying with him, that's why Liam is pushing Zayn away." Harry rambles.

"But remember how Liam started to let Zayn back in since we began with the training?" Louis points out.

A moment of silence falls between them. "The prediction." Harry says.

"Niall's aunt is talking about a soul finding their way into the cursed heart." he adds.

"But Liam is the witches youngest blood. He should be the one _fighting_ Zayn and not falling in love with him." Louis argues.

"So is Liam both? The soul _and_ the child?" Harry wonders. "That doesn't make sense, nothing makes sense" he thinks out loud and scratches the back of his head.

Louis chews on his bottom lip for a moment.

"Maybe it's the power that Virna talked about. What if Zayn is using an unknown power on Liam so he thinks he loves him, to protect himself. It will be only a matter of days or even only _hours_ until Liam might figure it out and then what? Liam is not going to trust us again and see us as his enemies." Harry rambles.

"But what if Liam doesn't notice. What if they fall in love and just _live._ " Louis suggests.

"That would have worked if Liam wouldn't be a Payne. It won't be long until the angels know about him, the other creatures already do. We- _Liam_ can't win this, neither can Zayn." Harry shakes his head.  

Both fall silent, remembering the prediction like the hymne of Naporia.

_Both can't win this. At the end the cursed is holding the dagger._

"We should go back home and get some sleep, tomorrow is another day." Louis says.

"But it could be too late by then." Harry argues.

"I know. But like Virna said, destiny is going to happen no matter how hard we try."

"We are not going to know, if we don't fight it." Harry says.

"We already do, Harry." Louis tries to reassure his friend and pulls the younger man into his arms.

"The letters." Harry mumbles under his breath as the thought crosses his mind. He pulls away from Louis and runs back into the building, leaving Louis outside. A few minutes later he exists the door and tangles his fingers with Louis', they are spreading their wings and fly, looking like two stars in the sky.

The house is silent when they enter. Quietly they walk up the stairs, "Can you stay with me?" Harry whispers, his green eyes are sparkling where the moonlight hits him.

"Yeah." Louis breathes out and guides Harry to his room with his palm pressed to Harry's back.

They lay down in bed. Harry scoots with his back towards Louis' front and the older one throws his legs over Harry's before they are falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

#  Day Fourteen / Fifteen

 

Zayn is being woken up by a soft voice calling his name. "Zayn." he hears, his body is immediately relaxing at the tone. When his eyes fly up to lock with brown ones, a smile crosses his lips.

"Good morning." He says.

"Good morning." Liam smiles down at him. "Come." he pulls Zayn up on his arm.

"What time is it?" Zayn yawns and starts hovering over the ground so he can stretch all four of his limbs.

Liam watches him in awe. "Around half past 5." He shrugs.

"You should sleep more." Zayn says worried.

Liam sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and looks down. "I am not tired anymore. I – actually I have been feeling this tickling in my fingertips, I think my power gets stronger, maybe we can try again?" He questions hopeful.

Zayn takes a deep breath, he _knows_ the tickling Liam is talking about. "Ok, but only once." he gives in and leads the way into the forest. They are stopping not too far away from the camp. "Alright, try if you can move the stone over there." Zayn points towards the rock on the ground.

Liam sticks his tongue between his front teeth and focuses on the stone in front of him. His arm is stretched out, his eyes are narrowed and his feet are standing secure on the ground. _There_ , the power is here, he feels it strong inside of him but an unknown weight is still holding it back; until those warm arms come around his middle – until he feels that warm breath on his neck. He starts to breath easier, as soon as the power floats out of his hand to make the stone move.

"Let's try and make the tree move its top." Zayn suggests and holds on to Liam as he turns his body to face the tree. It happens instantly, the leaves start moving with the movement of their hands. They start to walk while making random objects they pass move, bodies pressed together without letting go of each other. Liam feels safe with Zayn's strong and warm body holding him from behind. He feels like he can do anything.

They follow a random path, "There is the tree!" Liam points into the distance. Zayn is letting go of him and follows him slowly.

The tree is immediately leaning its head down for Liam to pat it. Zayn takes a few steps forward to join Liam by his side. Suddenly the tree dragon turns around and jumps up onto his back feet. He uses his front branches, to scratch Zayn as loud and screeching sounds come out of its mouth. Zayn raises his hands to protect his face, "No!" Liam screams and raises his arms with Zayn's.

The tree huffs as it freezes in place. Liam's heart starts hammering in his chest as he locks eyes with Zayn who has his hands in the same position.

Liam definitely did not tell his body to raise his arm.

"Zayn!" Liam calls out worried as the raven haired angel stares at him, eyes and mouth wide open. Zayn lowers his arms but Liam's don't move until he tells his body to do so. Zayn steps closer to the witch and narrows his eyes as he stares into Liam's. "What's wrong?" Liam questions and lowers his arms himself.

"Nothing, I just – The light just fell funny and – never mind." he mumbles. "Let's go back to camp." He adds.

☼

Zayn is greeted by Niall as soon as he had entered the house. "Good morning, did you sleep by the tent?" he asks teasing.

Zayn nods "Yes."

"Louis and Harry have news for you. They are waiting in the kitchen with breakfast. You look like you need some waffles." Niall points out with a worried crinkle in his forehead as he lays his arm over Zayn's shoulder. Niall leads him into the kitchen.

"And?" Zayn questions curious, while sitting down. He ignores the waffle on his plate.

"I think there might have gone something wrong with the curse." Harry says and Zayn shares a confused look with Niall before looking back to the curly haired one.

"Fact is, the curse erased the love in your heart, which means that no one will be able to love you." he continues.

Zayn furrows his eyebrow.

"But it seems like that you and Liam have a special connection." he adds. "Which could be good for you, that Liam might not want to kill you as the _history_ says." Louis chimes in.

"But?" Zayn asks.

"Niall's aunt was talking about a soul in her prediction and it could be Liam." he says.

Zayn perks up at that, "That's good, isn't it?" He questions, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Well, if Liam is also the child, then-" Harry begins, regret showing in his eyes with every word he says. He never gets to finish that sentence, though.  Zayn rises to feet and knocks the chair over by pushing it away from him before he storms out of the room.

Niall follows his friend and takes the waffle with him. He finds him sitting on his bed, legs crossed like a pretzel. "So we are back to the I-am-going-to-kill-him thing." Zayn says, voice weak.

Niall sits down next to his friend and places the plate in front of him. "Zayn, the future hasn't happened yet." he says and presses a kiss to Zayn's forehead. "Eat some." he encourages before he leaves the room.

Half an hour later Zayn walks downstairs. He hears Liam's voice before he sees him. "Is everything alright?" Zayn asks worried.

"Yeah, I guess. Niall just got me, saying they wanted to try it again." Zayn nods and all five walk into the library.

"How about you try to turn the light on?" Harry suggests and Liam gives a nod.

Zayn watches nervously, hand scratching the back of his head. Liam gives a quick glance to the chandelier above them before locking eyes with Zayn. The nervous expression from Zayn is not helping him right now. Liam switches his eyes to Harry, then to Louis and then finally to Niall who gives him a reassuring smile.

Liam looks back up and stretches his arm out. He focuses and the light bulb hisses followed by smoke and fire sparkles. The next thing he realizes is a body crashing into his before he can hear the lamp shattering into a million pieces on the ground where he had just been a moment ago.

Liam's heartbeat speeds up in his chest as he looks at the man who is laying over him on the ground. "What was that?" Louis asks worried and confused at the same time. Zayn climbs off of Liam, offering him a helping hand.

"Liam did this on his own, this is good, isn't it?" Niall throws in, excited and nervous at the same time.

"Yes, actual-" Harry starts but shuts his mouth as he takes another step closer to Liam.

"Liam, your eyes are red." Harry points out, shocked written all over his face. "Do you feel any different?" he adds and takes a closer look.

"No." Liam shakes his head and looks over to Zayn. Zayn itches the back of his head and opens his mouth but closes it again as he takes a few steps back.

" _Zayn_ -" Harry catches on to that moment, and raises his voice. Four pair of eyes land on him.

"We were practicing in the forest a bit and then we went to the tree where the witches ashes are and the tree came to life, it's a dragon, and he attacked me and as I raised my hand to protect myself, Liam did the same and the tree froze it its place." Zayn rambles.

"You have been training without telling us?" Louis asks furious.

"You went to the tree?" Harry raises his voice.

"I showed it to him yesterday and we just kinda ended up there again this morning and- his eyes were red for a moment after the attack, too. I thought it was only a trick of the light though." he defenses himself.

"That's it. We are all going to die!" Niall gives up and lets his body drop onto the couch.

"Zayn, do you realize how fucking stupid that was?" Harry glares at him.

"I figured." Zayn mumbles under his breath.

"Should we bring Liam back to camp?" Louis wonders.

"No. We don't know what is happening right now, but I am sure the red eyes don't mean anything good." Hary sighs.

A moment of silence falls between the five men. "Zayn, you fucked up. You fucked up big time!" Harry panics and buries both of his hands in his curly hair.

"I know." Zayn admits, his voice is breaking halfway through as he drops his head.

"You have to stay away from Liam until we have found a way to fix this." Harry says and eyes Liam first, whose eyes have gone back to his brown colour, then he looks at Zayn.

Zayn shakes his head "I don't think I can stay away from him, though." he says honestly and turns to face Liam before taking a few steps towards him.

"You have to. You don't have another choice." Harry reasons stern.

Zayn sighs and clenches his fists as he comes to a stop one feet away from Liam. The two men lock eyes with each other. "Shit." Zayn sighs as he watches Liam's eyes turn red again. Zayn pushes his hand through his hair, he can't step away though.

"Louis." Harry says and the man steps forward to lead Zayn away.  

"What are we going to do now?" Niall questions carefully.

"I don't know." Harry says with a shaking voice.

"I am sorry." Liam apologizes.

"It just felt so good, being with Zayn." he says and drops his head.

"It's not your fault. We should have payed more attention to you two. Whatever this is, whatever you two felt, it was out of your hands." Harry says reassuring.

"You can't stay here." Harry looks at Liam. Liam looks up at that, fear building in his stomach. "You also can't go back to camp." he thinks out loud. Liam's chin starts shaking. That's it, they will throw him out into the forest and leave him to the next creature that will find him.

"What about the tree?" Niall chimes in.

Liam and Harry look at him. Liam feels hope starting to bubble in the pit of his stomach. He lets his eyes jump to Harry's who opens his mouth to say something as suddenly the door flies open.

"Hide Liam!" Louis and Zayn come running into the room.

"My dad and the soldiers are here!" Louis explains with blown eyes.

Liam swallows thickly, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat but fails.

"The couch…hide behind the couch!" Niall orders while he is on his way over to Liam. He pulls the frozen guy with him as he passes and leads him to the other side of the room. He shoves Liam quickly behind the sitting furniture as the door flies open.

"Louis?" Daniel's voice sounds worried as he steps into the room and towards his son.

"Dad?" Louis' voice echos back, trying to sound as casual as he can.

Louis' father looks around the room, locking eyes with Niall who is watching them from couch, his left hand is hanging off the armrest, holding onto Liam's. Then the older man's eyes fly to Harry's for a moment before traveling to Zayn's.

"The signals, it's the witch!" The man says, eyes jumping back and forth between the four younger ones.

"H-how do you know?" Louis stutters.

Liam is squeezing Niall's hand tighter, he is glad for once, that he can squeezes the Niall's hand as hard as he wants to without causing him any pain.

"It took the historians some time to put one and one together, the stolen eye and the creatures who pass through the barrier. The war has started!" he says. "The witch is going to find its way back here, since this was Liane's birth house. Soldiers are standing around the house, so we can finish what should have been done long ago." he says.

Liam bites his lip, that's it, he is going to die. Niall slowly uses his thumb to draw circles on his skin to reassure him, but it doesn't work.

"What?" Zayn cuts in and takes a step forward.

Daniel laughs dry "You should thank me actually, because the witch is driven by an unknowingly power to kill you as soon as it sees you. It will not stop chasing you and killing everything that is going to be in its way until you are dead." the man says. Repeating what the history thinks is the truth.

"But why kill it?" Harry asks.

"It's either _it_ or _us_. The witch is more powerful than it knows. If it ally's with the wrong one, then a darker time will come over this world that we cannot even imagine."

"But what if you are wrong?" Louis asks.

"That is too much of a risk son. You are not safe here, none of you are." Daniel says and locks eyes with all four in the room. "I offer you to come with me, _all_ of you." He says and locks eyes with Zayn.

A moment of silence fills the room. Liam is waiting for it, he is waiting for Louis to agree, he is waiting to hear footsteps that cross the room. He is waiting for Zayn to say _thank you_ and joins Louis on the other side. He is waiting for Harry to breath out relieved that he can finally leave this nightmare behind himself. He is waiting for Niall to loosen his grip, not giving him another glance as he stands up and walks across the room to join the others.

But it doesn't happen. Instead, Niall's grip tightens on his hand, "No, this is my home and I am not leaving it behind." Harry's voice echos through the room.

"I don't trust you." Zayn says, looking at Daniel.

"I am not coming with you." Louis says confident.

"Louis." Daniel's voice is weak now, "Don't put yourself in danger, please. Come home."

"I am home." Louis replies.

A centaur appears in the door frame. "Daniel, the court of the eldest is waiting for you."

"Thank you Preston." the man says, eyes not leaving his son's. "Take care, Louis." He sighs and locks eyes with the other three before turning around.

No one moves for a few short moments. Louis is the first one who steps forward to take a look down the hall before shutting the door to the library. He leans his back against the door and takes a few deep breathes.

A million thoughts are running through Liam's brain as he jumps to his feed. "You are stupid, all of you!" He yells and wipes some lonely tears off his cheeks. "All of you!" He repeats broken. "You could have saved yourselves but you decided against it!" he rants.

"We promised to help you, and we don't break promises!" Louis says determined. Liam locks eyes with the other three who give him an agreeing nod.

Niall stands up from the couch and pulls Liam into his arms. His body is warm and comfortable and Liam feels safe. "Thank you." he says into his neck. Niall presses a kiss to Liam's forehead before he pulls away.

"We need to find a place to hide him." Zayn says, then.

"We do." Harry agrees with a nod. "We can't hide him here, though." he adds and walks towards the door. The other four are watching him curiously. "Come on, we don't have time!" he urges and the others follow him suit.

☼

"There is no way we are getting him out of here." Louis sighs after checking out every side of the house. "There are centaurs everywhere." he adds. Liam bites nervously on his finger as he listens to their conversation around him.

"Zayn, didn't you say Liam reacted to your movements when the tree tried to attack you?" Niall remembers.

"Yeah." Zayn nods and sits up.

"Make yourself invisible." Niall suggests.

Zayn raises his eyebrow, it's not like he will get invisible for anyone here, but he does it nonetheless. Four heads turn to the couch where Liam is – or  just had been.

"But doesn't Zayn stay visible for all of us?" Liam wonders from his seat on the couch. He doesn't get an answer though, all four eyes are frozen on him. "What?" He questions confused.

"It works." Niall says amazed under his breath. "He is in invisible." a smile forms on his lips.

Liam appears again and raises his eyebrow "What do you mean?" he asks confused

"By practicing with Zayn, your powers must have gotten mixed and now, whenever Zayn uses his power, it affects you too." Harry guesses and walks towards the door to the hallway.

"Where are you taking me?" Liam questions Harry while following the others.

"To a friend. I trust her." Harry replies.  

Liam clenches his fists next to his body. His eyes find Zayn's. "If Harry trusts her, then I trust her, too." He nods agreeing.

They make their way over to the door. Liam is holding on to Harry's wrist.

Louis is reaching for the doorknob and looks over his shoulder, he locks eyes with Zayn to let him know to make Liam invisible again. Louis turns the doorknob.

"Wait." Zayn cuts in with a furrowed eyebrow.  "It-It doesn't work anymore. Liam doesn't-" He stops in the middle of the sentence, eyebrow furrowed in concentration. The oldest drops his hand and turns around.

"Step away from me, Liam." Harry furrows his eyebrows. Liam does as told and as soon as he lets go of the other angel he disappears.

"Is it working?" A voice fills the room.

"Yeah." Harry swallows thickly. "Go to Zayn." he adds then and narrows his eyes displeased.

With the touch of skin of skin, Zayn disappears too.

"Wow." Niall breathes out as he watches to the place where his friend just had been.

"This can't be good." Harry mumbles under his breath.

"What can't be good?" Zayn wonders.

"You are invisible, Zayn. Is Liam touching you?" Louis questions.

"Well, he is holding onto my wrist." Zayn admits.

"Ok, you are carrying Liam. It's probably for the better too that you are not being seen, right now." Harry reasons. "Let's go" He says then and Louis pulls the door open.

"Louis!" One of the centaurs stops them. It's the same one who had told Daniel that it was time to leave. "Order from your father, I can't let you leave." he says strict.

"We were just going to grab a few things from the pharmacy for Zayn." Harry cuts in. He feels the breathing from Zayn and Liam on his neck.

The centaur raises his eyebrow. "Alright. But don't take any detours through the forest here." he raises warning his eyebrow.

The three give a nod before they are  spreading their wings and fly away.

"Zayn? Liam?" Louis whispers as the trees become smaller underneath them.

"We are here." comes from his right and then they crash through the barrier. They fly over the sea and over the library before they land in front of the club.

"We are here." Harry announces and leads the way towards the door. Liam reaches for Zayn's hand and holds on tight as they enter the building, still invisible.  Harry is leading the way through the narrow entrance hallway.

"A night club?" Liam asks confused as they turn into the main room.

"Shush." Harry quietens him.

All lights are on and the music is out. The room looks lonely without the guests and the stage looks empty without the performers. Harry leads the way through the room and to the backstage area. He opens the door and the others follow him.

"Liam? Zayn?" Harry questions as he is holding the doorknob from the door on the other side of the room in his hand.

"We are here." Zayn replies and Harry pulls the door open and leads them down the hall, past the stairs and stops at door with the red fluffy scarf. He takes a deep breath, sends a prayer and then he knocks.

"Come on in." Virna sing songs from the other side and Harry opens the door.

"Harry!" She exclaims excited but her happy features drop as soon as she sees his serious expression. "Come on." she waves them inside and Niall shuts the door behind them. "So you know about the witch?" She assumes and stands up from her swivel chair. Harry nods.

"Where is _he_?" she folds her fingers in front of her, talking about Zayn. " _He_ is here." Harry says quietly.

" _Wh_ -" She starts but cuts herself off as Zayn and Liam appear.

Virna lets her eyes jump to the two figures that have suddenly appeared in the room. Brown and Red eyes are looking back at her.

"Oh no." She sighs and walks over to the two men. She lays her hands on Liam's shoulder to get a closer look into his eyes.

"Who else knows?" Virna asks and takes a step back. "How many know who the witch is?" she whispers alarmed.

"Some forest trolls and a pair of Main Coons." Zayn replies.

"Lanzo does, too." Liam adds.

"What about the eldest." The woman asks.

"They only know that the witch is around. And my dad knows about Liam." Louis informs her.

"That might be the only reason why it took so long for us to figure it out. Everyone is expecting the witch to –" she stops and looks back to Liam.

"To kill him, I – I have already heard that." he says. "But I wouldn't. I wouldn't." He rambles.

"Not only that, they also think you are a girl." Virna says. Liam furrows his eyebrows and reaches for Zayn's hand. "Oh no!" Virna panics and steps forward to the two men, she takes Zayn by his wrist and drags him away from Liam.

"That's not good. That's not good!" She rants and walks nervously up and down between Liam and Zayn.

"What is not good?" Harry questions careful.

"Liam and Zayn have allied." she whispers. "How did that even happen?" She asks.

"We were practicing his magic." Harry says honestly.

"You were-!" She repeats louder. "Are you out of your fucking mind?" She adds, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Their powers have mixed. If Zayn's uncle gets Liam into his hands then this world will burn to ashes." She says. "Why didn't you come to me?" Virna looks at Harry. Harry looks down.

"Liam." She starts and turns to him. "You have to tell me everything. From your first meeting with Zayn until now." Liam locks eyes with Zayn and takes a sharp inhale "I first met him when I went to the house to get a ball for the kids I am looking after during a summer camp." he starts and drops his eyes.

The woman takes his hand and leads him over to the couch. "He ended up taking me into the house and – "

"How did you feel?" Virna cuts him off.

"Weird. I don't know. I was scared but then also disappointed when he just let me go later." He admits, while blushing.

"What about your second meeting?"

"It was in the grocery store." Liam revises. "And then he continued showing up at camp and then I went back to the house because I thought he had stolen something from me. I ended up entering one bedroom and there was this table with angels. I made it move." He continues.

"And then the others put one and one together." Virna finishes.

Liam nods in agreement. "They said it'd be safer for me out there if I could use my power to protect myself."

Virna humms in acknowledgement. "Did you feel like you couldn't trust, Zayn?" she wonders then and Liam nods.

"Yeah, a girl at camp, I have found her in the woods scared. She told me a thing with red wings took her. I knew it was Zayn."

"It wasn't me." Zayn argues.

Virna looks between the two. "When did you start to trust Zayn again?"

"When we started with practicing my power" He replies.

"Tell me more about that, Liam. How did it go?" She asks.

Liam sighs "I never could do it on my own. I felt like my power was stuck in my fingertips until Zayn came and - _touched_ me." Liam admits.

The woman buries her long fingernails in her white hair. "Liam, the reason why your power got stuck, was because Zayn prevented you from using it." She says.

Liam furrows his eyebrow and looks up "What?" He asks shocked and looks over to Zayn.

"Your power is strong, Liam. But Zayn's influence on you made it weaker. By having Zayn control your power, his and your power got mixed."

"So he manipulated me." Liam sighs and looks back at Zayn with disappointed in his eyes.

"We need to break the alliance before anyone finds out about this." She says with a sigh, instead of answering him.

"And how?" Niall questions.

Virna looks over to Zayn and then back to Liam. She can feel their bond, she can feel their alliance. "I need time to figure that out." she says.  "They can't be together, though. Every second they are together is making their alliance stronger." she says.

"I would never hurt him, though!" Zayn argues.

"I know that." Virna replies. "But your uncle will use him for his own benefit if he finds out." She finishes.

"I am not going to let him near him." Zayn arges.

"He killed your dad. Killing you won't be a challenge for him." Virna replies.

"But-" Zayn sighs and looks over to Liam. "I love him" he says quietly.

"He is never going to love you, though." Virna says cold, the knot in her stomach tightens. "He can't love you. No one can. That's what you were doomed for." She adds.

"Niall's aunt was talking about a soul who will find their way into Zayn's heart. What if it's him?" Louis questions.

The woman shakes her head. "Liam said himself, that he never trusted Zayn until they starting to ally. He doesn't love him."

Liam curls his fingers together as his eyes turn red. "Who says I haven't loved him before that." he says quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Your eyes, Liam." Virna points out. "Come on. We need to get you somewhere else before the club is filled with people." She adds and reaches for Liam's hand.

"Where are you taking him?" Zayn jumps in front of the door, red wings spread wide.

"To a safe place. I promise you Zayn, I am not letting anything hurt him." She says.

 Zayn breathes heavily as he lets his eyes drop to Liam's red ones. "I am so sorry." He says then and let’s Louis pull him away from the door.

Liam looks over his shoulder as he is being lead away from the others.

☼

Silence fills the room as the four friends watch the open door. "Your dad is right." Zayn sighs quietly, voice breaking at the last word. "You never should have befriended me." he continues.

Louis turns around to face his friend, eyebrows furrowed more upset than mad. "You know what, maybe you are right." He starts, voice filled with anger. "I could have stayed away from you that day in Kindergarten. I could have watched as the other kids and parents and teachers avoided you and treated you like scum. I would have been married by now with some random chick and feel like shit every second of my life. But I am _here_. With _you_ , my best friend who showed me that I don't have to feel sorry for myself because I am not into girls like my father wants me to. So now _I am_ telling you, to stop feeling sorry for yourself and fucking stop apologizing for something that is not your fault. And trust me when I say that I would fight my own father for you!" He rambles, voice weak, yet determined. The pain that is hearable in his voice is reflecting on his face.

"Louis is right." Niall speaks up.

"I agree. We knew what we are getting ourselves into as soon as we agreed moving in with you. We have made the decision all those years ago. And we made that decision earlier today when Daniel suggested to offer us protection. Your fight is our fight, Zayn. We are not leaving you." Harry states.

"I'll never be able to forgive myself though, if anything happens to you." Zayn sighs, locking eyes with every single one of them.

"Do you think we will forgive ourself if we just watch destiny catching up with you without doing anything?" Louis throws in.

 "Even if anything happens to us, at least I could say that we tried." Niall adds.

Zayn looks at his brothers, at all three of them. He can't stop the tears that are slipping out of his eyes anymore and lets them wander down his cheeks. Louis is the first one who is slinging his arms around his friend, then Niall joins them and then Harry.

"You are not alone and neither is Liam." Harry whispers.

The door opens behind them and the four pull away from each other. Virna takes a step into the room but stops in the threshold. "I'll be in the library. Don't tell anyone that you were here to see me. You should wait in my apartment, and make sure Zayn and Liam stay separated." she says. Zayn wants to argue but is being pulled out of the room by Harry before he can open his mouth.

Harry leads him up the stairs in the hallway and opens the door at the top. He saw Niall following him but not Louis.

The woman had stopped the oldest and handed him a big silver key. "Liam is in the basement, my dog is with him so he is not alone. Don't let Zayn know where he is, he will find him soon enough on his own." She says.

Louis gives her a nod and lets the key drop into his back pocket. "Is there anything we can do?" He questions.

"No." she shakes her said.

"Just wait here and try to keep Zayn calm. That alliance he has built with Liam is strong. He will do everything he can to be near him." Virna continues.

"Zayn would never hurt anyone of us." Louis says defensive; cold blue eyes are staring at the elderly lady in front of him.

"I know that." Virna assures and lays her hands on Louis' tense shoulder. "But the things he would do to be with Liam is out of his hands, right now." She says. "I'll be back as fast as I can." Virna adds and gives Louis' shoulder a promising squeeze before walking down the hallway.

Louis watches her leave, before he makes his way into the apartment to the others. The door clicks open as he turns the doorknob to get inside. Zayn jumps up from the couch "She told you where Liam is, didn't she?" he narrows his eyes at his friend.

"No. I asked her what we should do, and she told me to wait." Louis says half of the truth.

"I just want to know if he is ok." Zayn beggs.

"Virna brought him somewhere safe. I trust her with my life, Zayn and you can do that, too." Harry chimes in.

Zayn groans. "But- I just- I just need to _see_ him, just one more time." He begs, his pain is visible in his expression and hearable in his voice.

"Zayn." Louis says calm and walks over to him. "It's the best for now. It's the best for Liam."

"No, No, the best is if he is here with me, where I can protect him. I can't protect him like this." Zayn shakes his head, looking like a kicked puppy.

Louis sits down on the couch and pats the couch next to him. "Come on, sit with me." he says and Zayn does. Zayn settles down next to Louis and rests his head on his friend's shoulder. Louis starts to massage his neck and feels Zayn relaxing next to him.

The silence that follows doesn't last long. A distant scream echoes through the room breaking the peaceful moment; It sounds like a cry from a wolf. "Liam!" the Zayn jumps off the couch. Louis reacts immediately and follows him, holding onto his wrist. "I need to find him!" Zayn apologizes and frees his hand from Louis' grip before running out of the door.

Zayn runs into the main party room and looks around before crossing the room to the other side. He spots a door, it is matching the wall cover from the rest of the room, with a sign "No entrance" stuck on it. He pushes it open and runs down the small stair. "Liam?" He yells and pulls on the handle on every door he sees. He can hear the footsteps from the other three behind him. "Liam?" Zayn yells again, his voice is echoing off the narrow walls next to him. "Liam?" He repeats.

"Zayn?" He hears Liam out of a door.

Zayn stops in front of a door and hammers against it "Liam, are you in there?"

"Yes, Zayn." Liam replies from the other side.

Zayn kicks against the door, then he slides down with his back against the cold metal. "Liam, I am here." he promises.

"Don't leave." Liam says. Louis, Harry and Niall enter the hallway.

"I am not leaving. I promise." Zayn replies, eyes locked with Louis'.

The others sigh hopeless and sink down on the wall opposite of Zayn.

The time passes slowly as they sit in the hallway. Zayn has his forehead resting against the skin-heated metal door. "Liam?" He says quietly.

"Yeah?" comes a reply fromt the other side.

"Nothing -, I just- I just needed to hear your voice." Zayn sighs relieved, a soft smile tucking on the corners of his lips.

"Oh. My. God. Someone. Kill Me!" Niall groans and stresses every word with a bang against the wall with the back of head.

"How about you grab us something to eat?" Harry suggests from next to him.

"Oh yes. Good idea." Louis agrees, eyes jumping from Harry to Niall. Niall jumps to his feet immediately and is gone before anyone can ask him what he is getting.

☼

 

Half an hour later, multiple paper boxes of takeout is sprawled out everywhere in the narrow hallway and four big cups of coke are standing in the middle. "Do you have something to eat?" Zayn questions, turning his head slightly to his right, as if it would be easier for Liam to hear him like that.

"I do, Virna brought me some sandwiches before she left." Liam replies. "What are you having?" he adds.

"Niall bought chinese." Zayn answers.

Silence follows after that; only soft munching his hearable in the narrow hallway.

A few moments later, the eating sticks drop out of Zayn's hand and his head falls forward before his body follows, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Zayn!" Louis and Harry call out at the same time and Harry immediately leans forward to feel his friend's pulse.

"What's with him?" Liam asks worried through the grey metal door.

"He is only sleeping." Niall reassures his friends.

"What?" A pair of green and blue eyes jump towards their friend.

A figure appears in the doorframe, "We need to get him away from here, this was the only option." Virna replies for Niall, as she comes into the hallway.

"You drugged him?" Louis exclaims shocked.

"It's for the best" Niall adds, weary is visible in his eyes, though.

"Who drugged Zayn? Is he ok?" Liam hammers against the metal, not catching every word through the thick door.

"He is going to be fine, Liam. I just need to talk to you without him hearing it." Virna replies louder, so her voice is hearable through the door.

"Take him back into my apartment." The woman orders and Louis, Harry and Niall shuffle to their feet with a nod. Louis and Niall each sling one of Zayn's arms over their shoulders to carry him. Harry is leading the way.

Virna unlocks the metal door and in one quick motion, she steps inside and shuts the door behind herself.

"What have you done to him?" Liam attacks her as soon as she has entered the room; his body is cornering her against the wall. The dog is barking at him a few feet away from him. Liam's eyes are red as he glares at her.

"He is going to be fine." She says calm.

"Tell me more about the girl you mentioned." Virna adds.

"Charlie?" Liam asks and the woman nods. "I met her at camp." he says and pulls away from her. "We kissed a few times. I liked her, or at least I thought I did." He says deep in thoughts and drops his eyes.

"Liam." Virna says gentle and Liam looks back up, his eyes are back to his nature brown colour. "Tell me about the night when you have found her scared in the forest." She asks carefully.

Liam furrows his eyebrows as his eyes turn red again. "I thought it was Zayn, but that doesn't matter anymore." He rambles.

"It _does._ " Virna argues, regret is filling every corner of her body.

"Maybe it wasn't even him." Liam defends him.

"Yeah, _maybe_. But _maybe_ it was him." She replies.

Liam shakes his head. "Why are we even talking about this? What is happening? What is going to happen?" He asks instead, eyes showing fear and confusion. A million thoughts are running through his mind.

"We need to keep you and Zayn separated until we have broken the alliance."

"But Zayn and me are stronger together, we could win this." He argues hopeful.

" _Liam_ , Zayn isn't the only member of _his_ family. If his uncle gets his hands on you, then no one is safe anymore, not you, not Zayn." She explains.

Liam drops his eyes and focuses on the floor "Louis' dad said that the witch's purpose is to kill him, but then why don't I feel the need to hurt him?" He questions and looks back up.

 Virna shakes her head. "I don't know." She replies. "All we know is what our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents have been telling to keep the story known."

Liam furrows his eyebrows and breaks eye contact.

"The story says that the youngest member of the Payne family who will be able to use the power, will try to kill the youngest of the Malik family." She explains.

"But maybe it's not Zayn? What if one of his cousins gives birth to a child now?" Liam argues.

Virna sighs "The eldest have been keeping an eye on them, that that is not going to happen. It took them almost 900 years to get it under control. That's why all of Zayn's family that are left are his three cousins and his Uncle."

"What happened to Zayn's parents?" Liam asks curious

"Zayn's dad figured out that it was going to be Zayn who has to deal with their destiny and tried everything to protect him."

"I heard that he was sick?" Liam furrows his eyebrows confused.

"He wasn't just sick. He was _obsessed_ with protecting Zayn's life after his wife had died." The woman replies.

Liam watches her, waiting for her to continue. "He always would go and talk to the eldest to figure something out, at first they tried to help him but then it got out of hand, he came up with suggestions more ridiculous than the last one. "

"But then why did Zayn's uncle kill him when he just wanted to protect Zayn?" Liam wonders.

Virna sighs,  "The last idea he had was to kill Zayn to protect him." Liam's mouth dropped open and darts his eyes away from her. "So before Zayn's dad could kill his son, Lazarus killed _his brother._ "

Liam is lost for words. "But what if he was onto something? I mean maybe getting killed by someone who truly loves you would only break the curse." he says.

 Virna shakes laughing her head. "You sound exactly like Zayn. But no, that is impossible."

"Two weeks ago I was only a guy who watched over a bunch of kids and now I am running away from magical creatures while being forced to break an alliance with an _cursed_ angel." he deadpans.

Virna chuckles, "It's your destiny, though." she shrugs with a half smile.

"This destiny sucks though, why can't my destiny be, marrying someone normal and have a handful of kids."

"Because you are not normal, Liam. You are not like the humans, you are a witch. A very powerful one, too."

"Powerful?" He huffs with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "Only when Zayn is with me." he admits.

Virna bites her cherry red lips to prevent saying the words on her tongue. "You can do this on your own, too." She says instead, sounding confident. Liam sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and thinks about it for a second, he did make the wings move by himself. But he shakes his head. "I need _him._ " Liam pleads, eyes turning red without him knowing it.

Virna swallows thickly as he looks into the man's red eyes. She turns around and tucks her scarf off and places it on the floor. "Move it." She instructs and takes a step to the side.

Liam keeps his eyes locked on the scarf, "I can't do this." he shakes his head.

"Yes, you can." She says determined. Liam sighs, and lets his eyes jump to Virna’s for a brief moment before focusing back on the fabric in front of him. He fills his lungs and let's the dry and thick air around him expand his lungs, then he stretches his arm out and feels the power wandering through his bones.

 _Zayn_ Liam pleads in his thoughts, hoping that the thought of the other man will give him the strength he needs.

           – Meanwhile with Zayn in the apartment.

Zayn is laying on the couch, slowly but surely he feels his conscious coming back. His head is resting on a lap, Louis' lap. He can feel his friend's fingers wandering through his hair. "And you are sure he is only _asleep_?" Louis demands.

Liam can see Niall rolling his eyes in his mind. "Yes. Louis. Don't worry. He is my friend, too. You know?" Niall responses.

It feels like Zayn is in a middle state of being asleep and awake, because he can hear his friends, he can feel Louis' body and touch and he can smell his brothers familiar smell mixing with something unfamiliar. But he can't move, it feels like his brain is awake but his body is still asleep. Suddenly a voice in the back of his head catches his attention.

 _Zayn_ he hears.

 _Liam_ he replies, his hearbeat immediately picking up.

           – Meanwhile with Liam

Liam circles his shoulders back as he tries to relax his body. He feels his power, feels it in his fingertips. This time, when he hears Zayn's voice echoing his name in his head he feels a smile tugging on his lips.

 _"Zayn?"_ He questions a little confused.

 _"Liam_." The voice says lighter this time.

 _"D-Do you hear me?_ " Liam asks.

 _"Yes, are you Ok? Why are you calling me?"_ Zayn says worried.

 _"Virna wants me to use my power, I can't do it without you."_ Liam explains.

 _"Just because I am not in the room, doesn't mean I am not there. I am right here. Listen to my voice, Leeyum. I am right next to you."_ Zayn says.

"Liam?" Virna's voice cuts in.

 _"Don't tell her about this."_ Zayn tells him.

Liam opens his eyes to look at her. "I- I can do this." he says then with a nod. A smile spreads over Virna's lips. Liam closes his eyes again.

 _"Of course you can do it, duh."_ Zayn chuckles.

_"You heard me?"_

_"I did. Now listen to me, Liam. Steady and calm breaths."_

Liam darts his tongue out to wet his dry lips, and then he sees it in his head, he can see the scarf laying on the ground a few feet in front of him.

 _"That's it. Keep going."_ Zayn encourages.

Now, Liam sees the scarf moving to the right in his mind.

 _"That's it!"_ Zayn says excited.

No, it isn't.

"Liam!" Virna exclaims, panic hearable in her shout. The witch opens his eyes and watches the scarf burning on the floor.

"I am so sorry!" he blurs out as he watches the red and orange flames eating the fabric. The dog howls as he watches, too.

"It was too soon." Virna says as she looks back to Liam, and into his red eyes. "I'll be back." is all she says before opening the door and closing it again. Liam can hear the sound of the lock clicking – locking him away.

☼

Slowly, Zayn feels his body parts again, but he doesn't move, yet. He is waiting for the right moment to let them know that he is awake again. He can hear the door swinging open and then the boys chatter subsides.

"Has he woken up, yet?" Virna's voice fills the room.

"No." Three voices echo back.

"He will soon." She says, Zayn can hear footsteps getting closer and then he can feel the soft touch of her fingers on his cheek.

"Have you figured out anything, yet?" Harry questions.

"Not yet. In the public part of the library is nothing to find, I am sure I will find something in the archive, though." she replies.

"There is a archive in the library?" Louis questions curious. "I have worked there for over five years." he adds.

"The archive is only accessible for a handful of people." She replies. Footsteps are filling Zayn's ears again.

"Someone should stay with Liam, Louis has the key." Virna says over her shoulder before the door falls shut.

Ha, Zayn knew it.

"I'll go." Niall suggests.

 _No, I will_ , Zayn thinks to himself.

"Alright, I'll let you know when Zayn wakes up." Louis says and shuffles underneath him to get the key out of his pocket; Zayn can hear the keys clinging together in the process. What happens next, happens in a less than a second. Zayn grabs the key with his hand, jumps off the couch and runs. He doesn't hear the others behind him, he probably scared them to death by his sudden movement.

But Zayn doesn't stop, he doesn't look back. He runs down the stairs, down the hallway and back into the main party room. He runs to the other side, that's when he sees the others running through the backstage door.

He pulls the door open to the narrow hallway and hurries to the door that is separating him and Liam. He shoves the key into the lock, turns it and kicks the door open. He finds Liam staring at a small hill of dust, facing him with his back. The burning smell is fresh in the air.

"Liam, I am here!" Zayn says as he slings his arms around Liam. Zayn is kneeling behind Liam, chin resting on his shoulder.

"Z-Zayn?" he stutters and sinks into the body behind him.

"Don't fucking tell me you burnt the dog!" Harry exclaims from the doorway, staring at the hill of dust. Louis is standing to his left and Niall to his right, eyes focused on the hill of dust. Before Liam can answer, though, the puppy comes barking happily with a wagging tail over towards Harry. "Thank god, JD" he drops relieved to his knees and pats the puppy's head.

"It was just Virna's scarf." Liam explains and rests the back of his head against Zayn's shoulder.

"You can't let your anger control you like that." Louis scolds him and closes the door.

"She asked me to." Liam says.

Louis furrows his eyebrows, "She asked you to burn her scarf?"

"No, she asked me to move it. But it caught fire instead." Liam replies, still feeling a little guilty about it.

"It's alright." Zayn promises.

"Virna is a forgiving person." Harry smiles.

 Liam sighs relieved. "I hope so." He turns his head back to Zayn who is still holding him. "Maybe you shouldn't be here. I don't want to give her a reason to be mad." he says.

"I don't want to go, though." Zayn replies.

"I don't want you to go, either." Liam blinks at him.

"Are they going to kiss, or not. Next on, You and I: Not even the demons inside of us, can separate the two of us." Niall dead pans from the door. Four pair of eyes land on him. "It's true. They are worse than you two." he defends himself and points towards Harry and Louis.

The two blush "Harry and me are totally different." Louis speaks up.

"Yeah, we are just _us_. Best friends who enjoy being _together._ " Harry continues.

"Anyways, this isn't about Harry and me, this is about about you two and how this-" Louis begins and gestures towards the two on the floor. "Is a _really really really really really_ bad idea." he warns.

"I know. But I just can't stay away." Zayn argues. "And I also don't want to." He adds quietly.

Louis could say it, he could say that if Liam wouldn't be stuck in the alliance with him, then he wouldn't even be looking at him. But he can't. Zayn is his brother, and he looks so content behind Liam with his arms around him and Virna will be back soon anyways to pop their bubble. There is no point to rile Zayn up, now.

Harry is opening his mouth as he figures that Louis isn't going to say anything, but Louis stops him. "No, let them. There is nothing we can do now, anyways." He says.

"But-" Harry tries to argue

"I know." Louis cuts him off, "But like Virna said, their alliance is strong, if we would try to break them apart now, who knows what powers would be freed." He reasons.

Harry looks down and nods in understanding.

"I would never hurt anyone of you." Zayn promises, eyes flying back and forth between his brothers. "But I feel like I wouldn't be able to control myself if you would try to separate us." he admits.

Louis nods. "I know, _we_ know." he assures and locks eyes with his friend. "We should just leave them here, Niall, you want to do the first shift?" He asks.

Niall nods. "Sure, better get this done with with as soon as possible." he grimaces but his eyes betray him, the fond is visible in his blue sky like eyes.

Harry and Louis make their way towards the door, they say a _see you later_ over their shoulders before they step outside and close the door. The lock closes with a click and the two walk along the narrow hallway. They are opening the door but freeze as they lay eyes on the man in the middle of the party room. Wings are spread wide behind his back, red feathers are facing them.

Louis pulls the door shut again, his heartbeat picks up in his chest. "Shit" He huffs.

"What now?" Harry panics.

They can hear footsteps coming closer. Louis pulls frantic on every door, but they are all locked. "Dammit" Louis curses under his breath. The footsteps come closer and closer.

 _Tip_ – _tap_ , _tip – tap_.

"He _cannot_ know about Zayn being here." Harry's eyes are wide with panic and Louis does the only thing he can think of right now. He pulls Harry on his collar towards himself and walks backwards until he hits the wall with his back. Harry's eyes ask him a question he doesn't say out loud; there is no time for explanations. Louis drags Harry's body down by his tee and presses his lips to his.

"Hello? Virna?" Lazarus voice echos from the other side, clearly having heard the door falling shut. Louis continues the kiss and Harry kisses back, if he couldn't feel Harry's heart beating scared against his chest he could enjoy the moment more. Harry's hand is finding Louis' next to his body and squeezes it. The door creaks open and then a dry chuckle fills the hallway.

" _Well, well, well._ " Lazarus grins and uses the door to support his body. Harry and Louis exchange a quick look while parting from one another  before Harry turns around to face the man.

"What do you want?" Louis raises his eyebrow, lowering his voice. "We are busy" He adds, trying to sound more annoyed than worried.

"I was looking for Virna, but she doesn't seem to be here." Lazarus states, a grin is still playing on his lips. Louis wants to hit him.

"She went out, asking us to have an eye on the club." Harry continues.

Lazarus raises his eyebrow "Oh, so _that_ was what you were doing?" He crosses his arms over his chest, locking eyes with Louis before letting his eyes jump towards the younger one. "I wonder what Daniel will think about this." He says.

Louis clenches his jaw, but Harry's touch is keeping him calm. "He knows." he replies.

"Oh yeah right, he told me about your meeting with you and Zayn last week." he winks. "Anyways, enjoy." the man throws them another dirty grin and lets the door fall shut behind himself.

Harry's breath hitches as he looks back at Louis who is focusing his eyes on the floor, though; telling Harry everything he needs to know. Harry takes a step away, Louis feels the cold air hitting his hot skin where Harry had his hold on him.

"Harry-" he pleads but all he sees when he looks up is the door falling shut. Louis is frozen for a second, he doesn't know what to do. Should he go after Harry or leave him be. His feet make the decision before he has time to dwell on it for longer. He is running, following Harry. In his mind he is already going to through the places where he can look for him, but what he doesn't expect is to find him on one of the soft maroon sitting furnitures, not too far away. He is facing him with his back.

"H?" Louis tries carefully, voice soft and calm.

"Last week." Harry huffs, voice thick.

"Harry-" Louis tries again.

"Last week!" Harry repeats, but he doesn't turn around.

"It's not-" Louis begins but cuts himself off.

"Was it before or after me?" Harry asks then and turns around to face Louis. The tear stains are fresh on his cheeks, the green of his eyes look more like damp sea grass than the leaves of a sunflower blooming in the morning sun.

"After." Louis replies regretfully and drops his head while doing so.

"So I wasn't enough?" Harry narrows his eyes and wipes with his arm over his eyes.

"You are more than enough." Louis says and looks back up.

 Harry shakes his head. "Then you wouldn't have gone to Zayn to – I feel so stupid." he says, voice shaking with every word and hides his face in his palms.

"You are not stupid. I am the stupid one. I should have fucking listened to Zayn when he told me to tell you about it."

"You really should have." Harry agrees.

"So what am I to you, Louis? A second choice? Because Zayn wants to be with Liam?"

"No no no!" Louis rambles and takes quick steps towards Harry, he knees down in front of him and curls his hands around Harry's wrist.

"I know we haven't put a name on it, and I don't want to tell you what you can do or cannot do. But I was just expecting if I am with someone intimate, I want to know whether I am the only one or not. And if you can't be honest about it, then I don't see this working." Harry says.

A million different feelings start to bubble up inside Louis' body; frustration, fear of losing the only man he ever felt such a deep connection with in a deeper way than friendship and anger at himself.

He pulls away from Harry and gets to his feet. He buries his hands in his hair while taking a few steps away from the other man. Harry watches him.

"I am sorry." Louis sighs defeated, he sees his own reflection in Harry's eyes.

Harry shakes his head, a forced laugh is coming over his lip. A moment of silence falls between them, before Harry gets to his feet and takes a step, body facing the direction of the exit.

Louis steps forward and reaches for Harry’s wrist to keep him from walking away. "I told my dad that I – that I want you." he blurts out, everything inside of him is shaking, but his voice is clear and calm and confident. Harry furrows his eyebrows and tilts his head to the side. He looks like JD right now.

"I want whatever you are willing to give me. I am happy with that, with you." Louis admits. “We just have the worst timing” he adds frustrated. “I am not going to say that it was a mistake with Zayn, because it pissed my dad off and helped me unwind and it was before we both had that talk last week. But ever since that talk, I never even just thought about being with anyone else but you.” He finishes.

The air around them has dried Harry's tears away and his eyes look more like drying seagrass right now, but they are still shining, showing the past couple minutes. "Bad timing." Harry sighs and lets his head drops forwards. Harry's face softens as he looks up and takes a step towards Louis.

The air around them changes. “You haven’t been with anyone else since our talk last week?” he asks.

Louis gives a nod. “No one. Even my brain didn’t think of anyone else but you.” he says.

“Really? What did your brain think of?” Harry asks and narrows his eyes while slinging his arms around the other angel’s neck.

“About kissing you again. And I have to admit, that _that_ was not how I imagined it to happen again.” he says honestly.

"I thought our next kiss would have been in a different situation too." Harry sighs and locks eyes with Louis. He reaches forward to lay his hands on top of Louis' hips to pull him closer. And Harry lets him, the blue of Louis' eyes drop down to the Harry's pink lips. It’s Harry who closes the gap between them.

☼

Half an hour later Harry and Louis decide to free Niall from his misery. They enter the room and three pairs of eyes land on them. "Lazarus payed us a visit." Louis informs them.

"We could convince him that nothing is to find here, though." Harry adds.

"Yeah, we heard." Niall eyes them with a teasing grin on his lip. The two blush.

"Thank you." Liam says then, and he means it.

Harry and Louis raise their eyebrow. "You don't have to thank us." Louis says.

"I do. I want you to know that I am trying everything I can to help, I know that _this_ -" He makes a hand movement between him and Zayn, "-Is not helping right now, but I just can't stay away from him." He tries to explain.

"We know that." Harry gives him an understanding smile and sits down with Louis, they are resting their backs against the wall near the door.

"Alrighty. I'll see you guys later." Niall stands up and walks towards the door. The other four say their goodbye and then the door falls closed, leaving Harry, Louis, Zayn and Liam behind.

☼

The time passes slowly, there is no clock in the room, there are no windows either, to tell the time by the sun. Harry is halfway asleep on Louis' lap who is also fighting against his own sleepiness. Zayn and Liam haven't changed their position at all from when he first ran into the room a couple hours ago.

"I really want to kiss you." Zayn thinks out loud, his voice isn't louder than a whisper.

Liam bites his lip, eyes falling down to Zayn's lips. "I thought about it, too. But-"

Zayn furrows his eyebrows. "But what?" he asks worried.

A blush creeps on Liam's cheek. "I have never, you know, kissed an angel." He admits quietly. His eyes switch over to Harry and Louis whose eyes are fully closed now, their upper bodies are expanding a little with every breath they take.

Zayn smiles and wipes with his thumb over Liam's lips. "It's not going to be different, only _better._ " he promises. Liam smiles and sucks his bottom lip between his teeth. "You trust me, right?" Zayn asks careful, eyes jumping back and forth between Liam's.

"I do." Liam nods with a smile. His heartbeat picks up in his chest. Zayn raises his thumb and pulls Liam's bottom lip out of between his teeth. He leans in, Liam can feel his breath on his lips.

"Alright?" Zayn questions.

"Alright." Liam agrees with a smile.

 _Finally_ , they think.

Their lips brush lightly, then a painful sting shoots into both of their lips.

" _Fuck!_ " Liam jerks back, eyes wide.

" _Ow!_ " Zayn furrows his eyebrows confused and touches his throbbing lips. The two sleeping men jump up alarmed and turn around.

"What happened?" Louis questions and eyes the two on the floor who are now a few feet away from each other.

"We tried to kiss and then an electrical shock attacked us." Zayn pouts, still rubbing his throbbing lip.

"You kissed?" Harry questions.

"You haven't kissed before?" Louis asks at the same time.

"What was _that_?" Liam chimes in, looking confused at the other three. "What does it _mean_?" he adds, but he only gets shrugs as a response.

☼

Niall is in Virna's office, looking through the books that are standing in her office on the shelf. His finger is resting against the back of a book, trying to clear the letters from the dust. "The beginning of Naporia." he reads out loud the name of the book, his head tilt to the right. His fingers jump to the book next to it. "The bravest angels of all times." he continues. "The 5th law." he mumbles the title of the next book.

Niall steps away from the book shelf and lets himself fall into the big swivel chair behind the desk. He turns around to the wall behind him, there is a book in a cabinet, the door is made of glass. It looks pretty old. He rolls towards the wall and stands up to open the door, it cracks while doing so.

He bites his lip as he gets the book out and wipes over the front cover. "Naporia, anything and everything." he reads out loud before opening it. There is something handwritten on the front over. Niall narrows his eyes to figure out the writing.

_For my friend, Virna. Yours, Anne._

Niall skips to the next page before letting the pages fall quickly by moving his thumb over the pages. Suddenly, a envelope falls out. Niall closes the book and lays it down onto the desk before leaning down to pick it up.

He catches his breath before running out of the room. He races down the hall, rushes through the backstage room and sprints towards the door in the party room. He pulls the door open and takes quick steps towards the metal door before pulling it open. He is waving the brown aged envelope in the air as the door falls shut behind him.

"Harry, a letter!" he exclaims, his breaths are coming out it quick huffs. Harry jumps to his feet and meets Niall halfway.

"Where did you find it?" Harry questions and takes the envelope into his hands.

"I have found it in an old book your mom gave Virna, it was in her office." He replies, while trying to catch his breath. Harry furrowed his eyebrow as he ripped the paper open, hands shaking, making the task more difficult than it actually is. Harry drops the envelope to the floor and unfolds the paper

 

_Dear Heather,_

_My days have been counted. Before I leave I want to let you know the truth. The truth about the uncertain future. The curse is deeper than the change of wings and never finding love. In a few centuries, when this world won't look like how we know it and the curse is about to lose its strength, one soul will fall victim to the bad. Once the hunger for each other's lips will be  bigger than the pain, the two will fall asleep and the sun will never rise for them again._

_Keep this letter inside of you family. Our future blood will be stronger together than they are aware of._

 

_Like you and me._

_Yours, Liane._

 

Silence fills the room. Harry stares at the last four words, does this mean what he thinks it means? He wipes over the light blue ink with his finger, trying to understand the meaning behind those words.

"So my aunt was right." Niall says. "' _A_ so _u_ l _will find their way  into the cursed_ _heart_ '" he repeats the words from his great aunt.

"But is it Liam?" Niall questions and bites nervously on his lip.

"I don't know." Harry replies absently.  

"Maybe Liam isn't the real soul, maybe it really has to do with the alliance." Louis chimes in.

"Possible" Harry shrugs and looks up from the letter.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see once the alliance is broken." he sighs.

Zayn tightens his grip around Liam, while stretching his legs on the floor on either side of Liam.

"So does that mean that we can't kiss?" Zayn questions and looks at his friends.

"Unless you want to die, I guess not." Louis shrugs, watching Harry re-reading the letter for the 7th time in the past minute.

The time passes slowly. Niall has his butt resting against the wall and his legs are pointed towards the ceiling, using the wall as support. Harry and Louis use each other's backs to lean on while sitting on the floor. Liam has his head resting on Zayn's lap, Zayn's legs are folded into a pretzel. Liam's legs a curled, standing flat on the floor, his kneecaps are pointed upwards.

Silently the door opens and Virna enters the room, making eye contact with everyone before shutting the door and locking it behind her.

"Did anything happen?" She questions.

A beat of silence fills the room, before Harry's deep voice fills the air "Lazarus was here, but Louis and me could keep the focus on ourselves, then he left." He informs her. "And this letter." he continues, standing up to hand her the piece of paper that he had been holding in his hand the entire time. Virna lets her eyes fly over the lines before looking back up.

"Liam, Harry." She says, voice firm. Liam stands up, squeezing Zayn's hand in the process while walking towards the woman, their locked hands break apart once the distance becomes too great between them.

Virna's eyes lock with Liam's. "You need to use your power, without Zayn." she informs.

"But I can't." Liam argues.

"You have to. This is the only chance to break the alliance."

"Do it." Zayn's voice echos, from the other side of the room. Liam blinks at him. "I can't risk my uncle using you for his own benefit." Zayn reasons, but Liam can see the regret in his eyes.

Virna's voice comes from his left "Open the door." she instructs. Liam turns around without another word, facing the metal door.  He is waiting for Virna to unlock the door before he straightens his arm. He feels the power bubbling inside of his belly, his eyes are focused on the door handle.

 _"Zayn."_ Liam calls for the angel in his head.

 _"Liam."_ he hears a reply.

"Harry." Virna's voice cuts through the room, breaking Liam's and Zayn's secret moment. "Lay your hand on Liam's shoulder" She orders.

Harry obeys. Liam feels the angel's touch on his back and he feels…..he feels _lighter_.

 _"Zayn."_ Liam calls in his mind, but this time there is no answer.

 _"Zayn!"_ he thinks panicked and drops his hand. When he turns around, red eyes lock with brown ones. Zayn's knuckles are white where he has his fingers curled into a fist by his sides, his breathing has slowed down.

"Again." Virna says and nods her head towards the door. Liam locks eyes with Zayn before turning back around. He feels Harry's worried look burning into the side of his face but he ignores it. He stretches his arm and relaxes automatically into Harry's warm touch. Red eyes are focused on the door, then, the door swings open all the way, hitting the wall on the other side before shutting closed. The door repeats the motion five times before a voice echos through the room.

"Liam stop!" He hears, he can't place the voice though, his arm is frozen in place, his power is floating uncontrollable through his body, his red eyes are exposed to the air for far too long without blinking. Someone drags his arm down and cuts the float of his magic off. He blinks again, red eyes shining angrily back into green ones. Liam swallows thickly, letting the green calm the fire that is burning inside of his body.

"Again." Virna says, more gentle this time, from behind them.

"Don't you think they should take a break." Louis argues.

"We don't have the time for a break," she explains edgy and turns back around to face Harry and Liam. "Again." She repeats, voice confident and this time no one argues. Virna takes a step closer to Liam, "You are strong, Liam. Stronger than Liane, stronger than _Zayn._ " She whispers for his ears only. "Let him try on his own" She says to Harry who gives a nod before he takes a few steps back.

Liam expands his lungs with the foul air around him, his fingers are pointing towards the door and then he feels the familiar feeling in his belly. It's stronger this time. He feels the tickling going through his upper body, into his right arm, into his fingertips.

He hears a loud scream from behind him, but he is too focused on the task at hand, that it sounds more like a muffled shout.

Zayn is clenching his jaw, drawing blood from somewhere in his mouth by the pressure he puts on his teeth. His body is tensed, every vein is popping out of his skin. He prepares himself to run; and then he takes off, sprinting towards the Liam. He doesn't come far though, Louis crashes into him halfway through, catapulting both of them onto the floor. Louis' body is laying on top of the other one. "Zayn!" Louis grits through his teeth, struggling against Zayn's body.

On the other side of the room, Liam's hair are swaying in the wind caused by his power. Three pairs of eyes are focused on him as Louis tries to keep Zayn on the ground. Then, with a soft creak, the metal door opens, this time it's not rushed, this time the door swings open gentle. And then Liam's body tumbles onto the floor.

☼

Brown eyes open and blink weakly at the sudden light. Liam is laying on a couch, head resting on heaven soft pillows, his legs are stretched out. "What happened?" he asks, voice raw.

"The alliance with Zayn is broken." Niall says from the direction of his feet.

"Is he up?" a frantic voice cuts through the room, it's Zayn.

His face appears on Liam's left. "How are you?" Zayn questions, his eyebrows furrowed concerned.

"I am fine." Liam replies and wrinkles his eyebrows, the light is still too much for him. Zayn moves around the couch to stand between the couch table and the couch to get a closer look on Liam. Zayn leans forward to touch the witch's cheek with his finger, as skin touches skin, another electrical shock goes through both of their bodies.

Liam leans away from the touch and scrunches his face in pain, Zayn falls to his knees on the floor on Liam's side. Four pairs of eyes watch curiously.

"Liam." Virna's soft voice fills his ear. He looks up at her. "Turn the lights on." She instructs. Liam sits up, but keeps his legs stretched out on the couch. With his right arm, he points towards the lamp and then it lights up. It's easy. _So_ easy; like making the wings move. "Move the chair." Virna adds and points towards a chair that is standing in front of the kitchen bar. Liam locks eyes with everyone in the room, before looking towards the chairs. He straightens his arms and the chair is moving, changing the pases to Liam's liking.

"What is happening?" Liam asks as he leaves the chair in the middle of the room.

"You have reached your full potential. You are a full witch, now." Virna says, a smile tugging on her lips.

"But I can't touch him, why can't I touch him?" Zayn rants, still sitting on the floor next to the couch.

"It must be another spell Liane used to protect her blood." Virna guesses.

"But the letter only said something about a curse with lips touching." Zayn argues.

"She was only talking about the curse, Zayn. I don't think Liane expected Liam to be the one who falls in love with you." She tries to explain.

"And neither did my great aunt." Niall says. "Karma." he adds.

Two pairs of eyes glare at him and three pairs of eyes look amused at him.

"How come we could touch throughout the alliance and before that?" Zayn asks.

"Your alliance must have been stronger and before that, Liam wasn't a full witch, like he is now." Virna guesses.

"And what now?" Harry asks curious.

The woman exhales a long breath, "You should bring Liam back to camp. Louis, you stay with Zayn and Niall here." she says.

Zayn raises his eyebrow and stands up, face stone hard, "He is not safe out there." he raises his voice and glares at the woman.

"He is even less safe here." Virna shoots back.

Louis walks towards Zayn and guides him on his arm away from the couch. "Louis-" He tries to argue, but follows his friend's lead.

"Zayn, we won't let anything happen to him or you… But you can't be near him."

"But the alliance is broken" Zayn argues.

"Yes, but as long as no one knows who the witch is, he is safe. They all think it's a girl. Being a camp instructor is his best disguise." Louis reasons.

By the time Zayn turns around, he only catches a glimpse of Liam following Harry out of the room. Liam looks over his shoulder one more time, locking eyes with Zayn before the door falls shut.

☼

The flight back to camp is quiet, Liam hides his face in Harry's neck, feeling safe and protected from the cold air around him. They land close to his tent "What is going to happen now?" Liam wonders.  

"We will know when the time comes."

"But won't it be too late then?" Liam asks.

"You should go back." Harry says instead of answering, his white wings are spread behind his back, sparkling where the sunlight hits the feathers.

"Alright. What if more creatures appear?" He asks.

"You have your power now, Liam. Use it." He says gently. Liam inhales a deep breath, letting the fresh forest air fill his lungs. It's feels good to finally breathe fresh air again.

"I'll see you, then" Liam says and waits for a nod from the other man before entering the camping area again.

"Liam!" he hears Aalam call for him and then five pair of feet tramp over the ground towards him.

"Where have you been?" Nolan looks up at him, fear visible in his face.

"What?" Liam asks shocked and furrows his eyebrows.

"Yeah, we were looking everywhere for you." Julian adds.

"Liam!" one of the adults walked towards him. "There you are, your kids were quite worried." The man says.

Liam rubs the back of his head, unsure of what to say next.

A too familiar voice fills his ears, "Wow, look you have found him!" Charlie says with a wide smile on her lips. "You are playing with kids, Liam. Don't make it so hard on them when you play hide and seek." she winks.

Liam gives her a weak smile, "Yeah, next time I'll make it easier for them." He replies with a fake smile on his lips, he feels a tiny hand sliding into his, it's Aalam. Liam gives him a gentle squeeze. The adult shakes their head, amused, and walks away.

"I don't ever want to play that game, again." Julian frowns.

"Let's play tag instead." Drew cheers and tags Liam. "Everyone run" He yells as the kids leave some distance between them and Liam.

"Well then, I'll let you play with your boys. See you later." Charlie says.

 "See you later." Liam replies and watches after her, a million questions running through his mind.

☼

Liam lays awake that night, every noise leaving him anxious and every shadow that is passing the tent wall is making him catch his breath. He listens and pays attention to the silence, the sweat of fear and heat  is wandering over his forehead, the quietness around him is killing him. Liam kicks the covers off his body and stands up, he takes quick steps out of the tent and into the cool midnight air. Liam inhales deeply, expanding his lungs, he keeps the air in for a few beats before exhaling a long slow breath. He repeats it a couple more times before a shrill screams cuts through the night.

Liam has a deja-vu.

 _Charlie_.

Liam starts running, the trees around him are passing by quicker than usual, adrenalin is spreading through his entire body.

He follows the screams and rushes through the forest around him. He finds himself back at the spot where Lanzo had cornered him, he does a 360° turn, trees drowned in darkness are staring angrily back at him and then he stops.

He is too, late.

"Liam!" Charlie exclaims as the red winged angel takes off. Liam's doesn't miss Lanzo's face; his arms are locked underneath her armpits as they disappear into the night sky.

"Charlie! I'll find you!" Liam calls after them. He sinks to his knees, this is all his fault.

"Damnit, Liam!" he hears a too familiar voice behind himself, and then a hand is resting on his back. "Get up, you can't be here!" the voice rushes. "There are guards _everywhere!_ " he continues.

"Niall, Lanzo has Charlie. I-I have to find her!" he stutters.

Niall stares at Liam for a few beats, "Liam, if he knows about you like you said, then he knows that you are going to follow him. He hasn't told Lazarus, which means he has his own plans." He says.

"I don't _care_ , an innocent girl got kidnapped because of me!" Liam argues.

"Come on, _up._ " Niall says and nudges the other's side. Liam obeys and gets to his feet.

"I think the time continued normally while I was gone." Liam informs.

Niall furrows his eyebrows "I'll go and talk to Virna after I brought you back to camp." he says.

"No, I am coming with you!" Liam argues, holding eye contact.

Niall bites nervously on his lip, then footsteps and voices come closer. "Shit!" he curses and slings his arms around Liam's middle before shooting into the sky. "We are all going to die." Niall mumbles under his breath as they crash through the barrier.

"Thank you." Liam sighs relieved and rests his head in the crook of Niall's neck to protect his face from the cold air around him.

Liam has lost the sense of time, one moment they were passing through the barrier the next they land in front of the club and started to walk inside. Liam can feel Niall's heart beat from just walking next to him. The club is packed, a lot of noise and lights and- Liam can't quite tell, some look like people, others have a horse bottom, females with the eyes like cats, they must be Main Coons, Liam assumes. A handful amazing looking Drag Queens are on stage, some have broad shoulders, others are skinny. The make-up is thick on their faces, but they all smash it. Thick lips coloured in different ways. One has red lips, one has yellow ones, one has blue ones, one has green ones. There is even one whose lips are coloured like the irish flag.

Niall pulls softly on his hand to get his attention, before they are walking towards the backstage door. They make their way through the changing room and  then into the hallway. Niall leads him up the stairs and into Virna's apartment.

Five pair of eyes look at him. "What happened?" Zayn is the first one to speak and is on his way towards Liam.

Niall stops the angel though by stepping in front of Liam.

"Lanzo took Charlie. I need to find her." Liam says confident from behind Niall.

Zayn clenches his jaw. "He knows that you would go." Zayn argues, eyes twitching.

"I have to, she is innocent!" Liam argues.

 Zayn shakes his head. "She might be, but you can't go after her." he says.

"He will either kill you, or start an alliance with you. And _that_ would be _everyone's_ death." Virna chimes in.

"I just can't sit here and do _nothing_. It's _my_ fault. And the stolen eye is probably my fault, too." Liam rambles hopeless. "I am done. I am giving up. Has anyone a white flag I can wave?" he asks.

"You are not giving up!" Zayn's soft and gentle voice fills the room. Liam looks up and locks eyes with the man. "Do you hear me? _We_ are not giving up." He says, eyes frozen on Liam's. They can't touch, but at least they can _look_. " _I_ will look for her, for you. You go back to camp and I will bring her back to you." Zayn says, eyes not leaving Liam's.

Liam nods and wipes with his arm over his face. "Thank you." he says.

"I would do anything for you." Zayn replies, and it's not a lie.

"I am coming with you." Louis steps forward.

"No, Louis. I need you here with Harry and Niall having an eye on Liam." Zayn shakes his head.

"And who is having an eye on you?" Louis argues.

"I'll be fine. We are talking about my cousin, I can deal with him." Zayn says.

"I am still coming with you." Louis repeats.

"This is my fight, not yours." Zayn says and then he is gone.

"Zayn!" Louis shouts. "If you come back, missing only one piece of hair, I am going to kill you!" he yells through the room, hoping Zayn is still close enough to hear it. "I swear he will be the reason  for my grey hair." Louid sighs, the distress on his face is as visible as the moon at night. "Take care." He adds then, quieter this time. Harry lays one of his hands on Louis' hips and pulls him into his side. Louis sinks into the touch.

"He will be fine. He always was." Harry says calm.

"Yeah, let's hope he will be this time, too." Louis says, eyes still locked at the spot where Zayn had been.

"Virna?" Liam says, his voice seems louder than it really is, due to the silence and tension in the air around them.

The woman looks up at him with a gentle smile, "What is it?" she questions.

"As I came back to camp – uhm, the time didn't freeze like it always did." He says while playing with his fingers.

Virna's face expressions hardens, "I remember reading about this when I was at university. The time only freezes for humans when they cross the barrier, for us, it continues." She says. "That's why you have to go back, as soon as possible." she adds.

"What about Zayn?" Liam asks.

"We will let you know, as soon as we have heard something from him." Louis assures.

"What about Charlie? What do I tell them?" Liam asks nervously. "Nothing. Don't say anything." Harry replies.

☼

The sun is still on the other side of the earth when Liam gets back to camp. He furrows his eyebrows at the flash lights he sees that are followed by loud chatter. As he gets closer, he sees that the entire camp is awake. The closer he gets, the more he catches on to the tension in the air.

"Liam?" He hears one of the other instructors call out as a flash light is blinding his vision.

"Yeah, it's me." He says unsure.

"Thank god you are here, have you seen Charlie?"

Liam quiets at the question. He wishes he would have.

"No." he chokes out.

The woman leads the way towards Jan, "The lost boy is back." she says and gestures to Liam before wandering off, leaving Liam alone with Jan.

"Where have you been?" She asks, it's a mixture of anger and worry.

"I couldn't sleep and took a few steps into the forest, I am sorry." He lies.

"Charlie is missing. You were missing. This is a nightmare!" She rubs the sides of her head, the stress is hearable in her voice. "The sun will go up in about one hour, then we will look through the forest. You, the kids and the other youth instructors are going to be staying in the dining tent. You should see your boys, they were terrified when they got woken up and you weren't there" She says. "And the next time you are going too deep into the forest where no one can see you, I am going to send you home immediately." She warns.

Liam gives a nod.

Liam makes his way towards the dining tent, he stops in the entrance for a moment to look at his boys before he walks over. He ruffles through Aalam’s hair and sits down next to him.

"You disappeared again." Julian points out and raises his eyebrow.

"I was just – sorry." he cuts himself off in the middle of the lie.

Aalam scoots closer to him and slings both of his tiny arms around Liam's bigger one before resting his head against Liam's biceps. "I – I think it's my fault why Charlie is gone." he admits with a sniff.

Liam furrows his eyebrow. "Why do you think that?" he questions.

"She is weird, so in my prayer I said that I wouldn't mind if she would disappear. I think she is in hell now, Liam." He says.

Well, Aalam isn't too far off with hell, if he is being honest.

"It wasn't your fault. She probably just took a night walk through the forest and got lost. They'll find her." He assures, thinking of Zayn. Aalam doesn't reply.

☼

The sun starts rising, lighting up the dining tent where kids are either asleep on the bench, or are resting their heads on the table or are rubbing sleepy their eyes. Aalam has moved from next to Liam to his lap, head resting against his chest. His little legs are stretched out on the bench where he had been sitting next to him. Devin's face isn't seen from where it is laying on Nobu's lap, and Nobu's body is laying over Devin's. Julian has his head resting on his brother's shoulder and Drew has his head laying on top of Julian's.

Liam doesn't know what time it is when the adults come back, heavy eyes, tired bodies and an invisible mask over their faces. A young girl, not older than Aalam is jumping off the bench and runs towards Jan. "Have you found her?" She asks, eyes wide, tears building in her eyes.

Liam nearly chokes on his own spit. She must be Charlie's sister.

The woman kneels down in front of her and shakes her head. "No, we will have to call the police and inform your mom." She says for her ears only, but Liam heard it.

The little girl breaks down crying, calling her sister's name like it would make her appear. Liam tightens his grip around Aalam and lets his eyes jump over his boys. He is so happy that his boys are here. Lanzo could have taken one of them, instead. Making it more his problem than it already is.

The day passes slowly, he has been avoiding to go to the bathroom for _hours_. He is too scared to leave his boys alone. He also doesn't want to take all of them with him, that would look – well , weird.

Unexpectedly Niall touches down in front of him, white wings spread behind his back. "Zayn is back." he informs. Liam tries not to be too obvious and nods lightly while focusing his eyes on his boys who kick a ball around. "He didn't find them." is what Niall says next, voice worried, bottom lip tucked between his teeth. Liam darts his eyes towards the angel. He gives a brave nod before getting to his feet.

"I am going to the bathroom." He says, saying it more to Niall.

"You want me to wait?" Niall asks.

Another nod towards Niall, then he looks towards his boys. "Don't be gone too long." Drew frowns.

"The forest is scary." Julian finishes. The other kids nod in agreement.

"I won't." he says and keeps the promise, this time.

When he gets back, Niall is watching over his kids with a fond smile, "Alright." He sighs and stands up, feathers swaying softly by the movement. "I'll see you, Li." Niall smiles and shoots into the sky.

The police shows up after lunch, questioning everyone. Liam _overhears_ their conversation with Jan, the officers tell them that over the last months, about ten girls have been kidnapped that fit into Charlie's description. They'll be gone for two days, and then they'll show up with two needle wounds in both arms. They are fine, though, nothing is missing, they are healthy, and they can confidently say no sexual contact. They also checked their blood for drugs or anything else, but nothing was found.

Liam bites his lip, the ones who are taking them must be checking their blood to see if they are related to Liane and then they will be getting a needle with a substance that makes them forget about the kidnap, to not expose the other world.

The puzzle pieces fit together perfectly, to Liam. Not to the officers or to Jan or to Charlie's family or to her sister, though.

Two officers stop in front of Liam, Liam looks up. "Can we talk to you for a minute?" One of them asks.

Liam stands up, "Yeah, of course" he says and takes a quick look to his boys before following the officers a few feet to the side.

"You are Liam Payne, right?" the shorter of them asks.

"Yes, that's me." He nods.

"And this is your first time being an instructor for a summer camp?" The other one asks, he is taller.

"Yes, it's my first time. My mom suggested it to me, saying it would always look positive to have a summer job as reference." He says honestly.

The smaller one gives a nod. "We have been told that you and Charlie have been pretty close?" he asks.

"That's true. She is really funny and sweet and has helped me out with my boys a lot."

"Are you two dating?" The taller adds.

Liam shrugs "I mean-" he starts but trails off. He is going to sound rude if he says that it is only for the summer, but to say that he looked forward to keep in touch with her would be a lie. Well, it wouldn't have been a lie last week but now, he isn't so sure anymore.

"Officers!" A man in a uniform interrupts them before Liam can think of an answer. "We have found footprints west-north of the forest." he informs. The two officers give a quick nod and follow the other man without another word to Liam.

Well, Liam is doomed.

A few hours later, a team of people dressed in white overalls walk across the camp grounds and towards the spot where Liam knows his footprints are visible. And probably Niall's, too.

Liam bites nervously on his lip as he watches the people dressed in white run past the open dining tent entrance. It's dinner time and the sun is slowly sinking on the horizon. He listens to a conversation that is happening outside, from two people he doesn't have a face to.

"We are going to analyze the two pair of footprints we have found. The weird thing is though, one pair is leaving a track and disappears, the other pair is standing a few feet away, not even in reaching distance, and then those footprints stop there too, there is no trail back."

The other person huffs, a middle aged woman, Liam guesses. "Alright, we'll be back tomorrow and see if anyone's footwear matches with either one that you have found." she replies.

Liam stares at his sandwich on the plate in front of him, but doesn't touch it.

Tomorrow at this time, he might be in prison, getting questioned where he has buried Charlie's body or where he is hiding her.

It's an early night for everyone today due to the lack of sleep from this morning.  Liam is laying on his back in his bed, eyes closed but ears focused on the voices by the officers who are still searching the forest or are waiting on the camp grounds.

The wolf-like ears are useful.

 _There_.

He can hear something, it sounds like fire sizzling in the distance. His eyes shoot open as he listens closer, this is definitely fire. Liam climbs off of his bed and shoves a few pillows underneath his blanket so it looks like someone is laying in bed.

He tiptoes towards the entrance of the tent, he can see shadows of police officers and he can hear them talking. There is no way he is getting past them without being seen.

Liam thinks about his options, staying here and doing nothing or try to use his power. He could make himself invisible and walk past them. He relaxes his body, he rolls his shoulders back and focuses, like he was taught. He can still see his body, nothing has changed but he tries. If he is being seen he can make up an excuse of sleepwalking.

So, he closes his eyes and takes two careful steps out of the tent, he counts to ten in his head. He can feel people walk past him, can hear their voices and no one has tried to talk to him yet. He opens his eyes and looks around. His heartbeat his hammering in his chest, he is worried someone will hear it. He takes a careful step forward. He watches two officers drinking out of a can while talking in hushed voices. Neither of them acknowledge him. So he starts running.

He runs towards the house, using the bushes and trees to stay hidden. He sees the centaurs, still standing outside like an army around the house. He shouldn't be here – he really shouldn't. Liam bites nervously on his lip, unsure if he still invisible or not.

He hears two female officers getting closer. Liam watches them come into his view as they stop in front of the house. Neither are mentioning the centaurs.

"Did you know this house was here?" One of them asks.

"No." The other one replies.

The centaur close by rises their eyebrow at the two women but doesn't do anything.

"The house looks unlived in, we should leave and get back tomorrow with a group." One of them says. The other one nods and then they disappear out of sight.

"You can't be here!" a too familiar voice says from behind him. Liam startles as he turns his head to his left. He finds Zayn smiling at him.

"I thought I had heard something." he admits.

Zayn licks his lip as he reaches his hand out, he doesn't touch Liam, though. "I couldn't find her. But I will. For _you._ " He promises.

"They have found my footprints near Charlie's. The police might take me with them tomorrow and lock me in a cell." Liam blurts out.

"Then don't let them catch you." Zayn grins amused. He is about to open his mouth to add something, when  a red, orange flame shoots up into the sky right behind them  and then the fire starts sizzling and spreading around them.

The centaurs around the house start to panic and escape inside.

"Liam!" Zayn calls out, the smoke around them getting thicker, as grey smoke raises up into the sky, followed by wild fire sparkles. Liam starts coughing, the thick air is messing with his lungs as he tries to run away from the fire catching up with him.

The heat spreads around Liam as dirty sweat runs down the side of his face. "Liam!" he hears Zayn's voice again mixing with his dry coughing. Suddenly an electrical shock goes through his body making him shake and twitch against a stronger one.

Then, he is being dropped to the ground; a grunt is leaving his throat as his body makes contact with the hard earth. He doesn't know where he is, but he feels soft feathers over his body. He sucks the clean air around him into his lungs through his mouth and blinks his eyes open. He sees red feathers. "Zayn?" He asks, voice still raw from coughing. The pain has paralyzed his entire body.

"I am ok. Are you ok? _Fuck_." Zayn says quietly, voice filled with pain.

"Yeah, I hate that protecting spell, you know?" Liam says honestly, voice still weak

"Glad I am not alone in this anymore." Zayn jokes through gritted teeth, his head is still throbbing angrily. He forces himself back to his feet though, and waits for Liam to do the same.

It's only now, that Liam sees where they are. They are on the backside of the house. "I feel like someone fried my brain." Liam says and raises his hand to his head. "But thank you." he adds and looks around as he sees the fire burning around them. "How come the fire is around us." he questions as he watches the flames burning.

"Liane made her premises fireproof. So she could give her family the best protection." He explains.

Suddenly the sky is covered with wings. Everywhere Liam looks, white wings fill the sky. "Oh shit!" Zayn mumbles, eyes flying over the sky. "Stay here, _hide!_ " he exclaims and runs around the house to get to the front side.

Liam's heartbeat picks up in his chest, and his hands start to shake as he watches the mass of angels coming closer to the earth. He can hear the front door opening and then the centaurs are storming outside, he watches as each angel takes one by passing the ground before flying back up into the sky.

"Zayn!" Liam hears Louis's voice call upset.

 Liam catches his breath and watches Zayn running away from an angel with a purple jacket on. "I am innocent!" Zayn yells as he tries to run away, but the angel is faster, they lock their arms underneath Zayn's armpits and lift him up into the sky.

"Zayn!" Liam exclaims as he watches the angel with the purple jacket disappear out of his sight. Louis, Harry and Niall are close behind them.

Suddenly, Liam hears wings movement behind him, he turns around and looks into the face of a young woman. She hooks her arms underneath his armpits and then flies towards the sky.

"Let me go!" Liam screams and wiggles his body.

"Stop moving!" A soft voice says,

"Where are you taking me!?" He demands, but he doesn't get an answer.

Liam screams, He yells for Zayn, then Harry, then Niall, then Louis.

"Hush!" she says and holds her hand in front of his mouth. "I can't tell you where I am taking you, to your own safety and theirs." the voice says.

Liam could relax by the sound of her voice, but he fights it. What if she is one of those creatures who wants his power, or his death or his heart or his liver or any other organ to become the most powerful angel on earth.

Liam is tired, scared, and he doesn't have any energy left. So he gives up. He lets his limbs drop and lets the tears roll as Naporia moves underneath his feet.

"I am Harry's sister, if it calms you down." A soft voice says into his right ear and the hand drops from his mouth.

"Yeah?" Liam sniffs.

"Yeah. If you could please work with me and make yourself invisible so no one sees me flying a random person around." She says, amusement hearable in her voice.

"I'll try." he says then, voice still trembling.

"You are halfway there, Liam. You need to calm down, you remind me of Virna's disco ball." she giggles. Her voice and her giggle remind him too much of Harry, he starts to relax. "Good job, Witch. Now stay like that." she says, smile hearable in her voice.  

"Where are they taking Zayn? What is happening?" Liam questions.

"No one knows, actually. They think Zayn started the fire to protect himself from the Witch." The woman guesses

"And you, do you believe it was him?" Liam asks.

She laughs "Of course not. The other possibility would be you, though."

"It wasn't me." Liam shoots out.

"I know." She replies and they continue their flight silently.

The world underneath them is made of shadows, they are flying over roofs and trees. The angel flies downwards right into the darkness of the forest, far away from the street lights that lit up the neighbourhoods. He feels the wet ground underneath his feet giving in under his weight. "Stay invisible until we are inside." She instructs and Liam obeys.

The woman steps forward and knocks against the old wooden door. They hear rumbling from inside and then the door flies open. He locks eyes with yellow eyes, yellow _cat_ eyes. Liam walks backwards, heart beating loudly and fast in his chest. He walks straight into Harry's sister. "Liam." She whispers and lays his hands on the still invisible man in front of her.

"Main Coons." He whispers.

"Yes, they are, but they are on your side." Harry's sister promises. Liam shakes his head, even though no one can see it.

A couple shadows appear over them, wings spread wide. Liam swallows as he recognizes the man in the purple jacket who took Zayn. Liam takes a shaking breath in before slipping into the house.

He sees two more women sitting on a couch, head turned to face the door. Two hands are intertwined on one of their tights. A few moments later the door falls shut and the woman who had opened him the door is entering, Harry's sister close behind her.

"Liam?" She asks and Liam makes himself visible.

The cat woman who had opened the door sits down on the free spot on the left. The couch looks like it was made for the three of them, fitting all of them perfectly. The woman clasps her hand with the one next to her and rests her head on her shoulder while smiling at him.

Liam narrows his eyes at the three, unsure of what to do or to say next.

"Alright, I have to go back and make sure my brother isn't getting himself in more trouble. I'll be back." she promises.

"See you, later Vic." the three women echo back.

"Wait." Liam speaks up, "You can't just leave me here." he whispers, though loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You'll be fine, Harry trusts them, I do, too. And _Zayn_ does, too." she assures and points towards a picture frame on the counter in the room.

Liam looks at the picture, it's a picture of Zayn, Harry, Louis and Niall sitting around a big table stuffed with food and the three women on the couch, are sitting opposite of them. Big smiles are on all of their faces while they look into into camera.

Liam swallows thickly, "Alright." he says then and takes a step back from his friend's sister. She gives him a soft smile before she disappears, letting the door fall shut behind her.

"Liam, please, make yourself feel like home." The one on the right smiles at him. "I am Gabby." she introduces herself. "This is Kaja and Sura." she continues. Pointing first towards the one in the middle and then towards the one who had opened him the door.

Kaja points towards the armchair on the left of the couch. "Please sit, do you want anything to drink?" she offers and Gabby stands up. Liam wants to decline, but he feels tired and weak and thirsty. Gabby walks into another room, probably into the kitchen. Liam takes another look to the picture with them and the angels before sitting down on the armchair.

His entire body is sinking into the furniture, he feels like his body is getting dragged into the depths of hell, but it's comfortable. The woman gets back with a bottle and four cups and sets them down on the couch table. "Thanks." Liam says and leans forward to pour himself a glass. He empties it in one go.

"So, you have already met Main Coons?" Kaja asks with a friendly smile on her lips. Liam nods.

"Yeah, they sang, it was beautiful." He says honestly.

The three women laugh. "It's our poison, our great grandma's had to paralyze their food somehow." Sura says.

Liam's eyes widen at that.

"But now, we go to the grocery store like everyone else, we only find our partner with our singing." Kaja ressures.

"Zayn told me you live in pairs, I didn't expect – _uhm._ " he trails off as he sees three raised eyebrows looking at him.

"Yeah, some don't seem to understand that sometimes there isn't just one for you, sometimes there are more." Gabby says happily and looks at the two women next to her. They all share a secret smile with each other. Liam looks away, not wanting to intrude their moment.

One question is nagging at his skull, but he doesn't ask it.

Liam yawns instead and sinks further into the depths of the sitting furniture, his eyes are getting heavier. He stays awake for a few more minutes and then his exhaustion takes over him.

**  
**

#  Day Sixteen

 

Liam wakes up, his knees are touching his chest, a fluffy purple blanket is laying over him and the sun is shining into the room through the window next to the door. He finds a clock hanging on the wall near the TV, it's 10:15am. Liam rubs sleepy his eyes and sits up, everything is quiet around him, he seems to be alone.

Liam stands up and hears quiet chatter from outside the door. He recognizes the three Main Coon's voices immediately. The door flies open and the three women walk inside. A headband is around each of their head to keep the hair from falling into the their faces, sweaty Tee's and a pair of shorts are hanging on their bodies and rosy cheeks are framing their faces.

"Oh, good morning, Liam." Sura greets him with a smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Kaja adds.

Liam nods "Yeah, thanks."

"Are you hungry? How about waffles?" Gabby questions.

"Sounds great." Liam smiles thankful.

Liam falls into an easy conversation with the three women afterwards. He keeps looking at the picture with Zayn and the other boys.

 "That was on Zayn's birthday in January." Kaja says with a fond smile on her lips as she watches Liam staring at the picture again.

Liam turns his head, a blush is visible on his cheeks, he didn't expect anyone watching him.

A knock against the door interrupts their moment. Gabby stands up to open the door, then Harry's voice fills the house. Liam jumps up from his chair and makes his way towards the door and runs into his friend's arms.

"Please tell me you are going to stay!" Liam pleads, arms slung around Harry.

Harry sinks into Liam's arms and holds him closer. "I can't." He replies regretful.

"Why?" Liam pulls away, fingers curled around his shoulders.

"It would look sketchy if me or one of us would be here for longer. Louis, Niall and me have to go back to our house to not bring too much attention to us." Harry explains with a frown.

"What about Zayn?" Liam asks confused.

"He is in jail." Harry sighs and drops his eyes from Liam's.

Liam swallows thickly and drops his hands from his friend. "But-" he tries to argue.

" _Liam_ , you need to stay here, do not leave this house. Promise me." Harry pleads, eyes jumping back and forth between Liam's.

"But-" Liam tries again, but Harry cuts him off.

"They have to let Zayn go as soon as they figured out that it wasn't him who set the fire." Harry says confident.

Liam gives a weak nod, "What about Charlie?" he adds curiously.

"Lanzo won't hurt her, he will wait for you." Harry assures.

Liam sighs and drops his head. "Ok." He says.

"Don't do anything stupid, you are not going to leave this house." Harry warns once more. He looks like Zayn right now, with the warning tone in his voice and the serious and worried look in his eyes. Liam can only nod in agreement while seeing Zayn's face looking back at him.

☼

Zayn hits the grey stone wall behind him, the skin on his knuckles rips open and blood comes dropping out, but he doesn't care. The pain he feels inside is bigger than that little sting in his hand.

Zayn takes a deep breath and regrets it right after. The air around him is thick and it feels like it had been used way too many times than air should have been. The only space that is letting fresh air through into the stoned cage where he is stuck in, is from a window. It's not even a real window, it's only a space where one brick stone is missing at the top of the wall.

Zayn is leaning with his back against the wall and the cold and hard ground underneath him makes his bum hurt, he is facing the opposite side of the cage, he stares through a grid made of steel.

"Let me out!" He yells through the dark.

"Shut up!" is coming from the other detainees.

Zayn rolls his head on his shoulders, then he hears footsteps coming closer. Two shadows appear in the dark. He narrows his eyes before the light falls on the two shadows. It's a warder and his uncle. Zayn furrows his eyebrows and glares at the man who killed his father. "Fuck off." he spits and crosses his arms over of his chest before letting his head drops backwards against the wall.

Lazarus nods at the warder and the man leaves.

"Did you set the fire, yes or no?" Lazarus questions.

"No." Zayn groans as a reply.

"They will know soon if you are lying or not." Lazarus says.

"I would never risk those children lives to save mine." Zayn argues.

"Maybe not you, but maybe the witch." Lazarus responses.

Zayn swallows thickly and locks eyes with the man.

"We all know by now that the witch is around. Who knows, maybe your _boyfriend_ knows more than he lets on." Lazarus grins.

"Leave Liam out of this!" Zayn glares at the man, he is unsure about how much he knows.

"You know I am right. For some reason you let Liam play with you." He says, followed by a grin. "Oh, how the tables have turned, huh?" Lazarus says amused.

Zayn clenches his fists and glares at his uncle. "You know nothing about Liam and I." Zayn says.

"That's right. But I am not stupid. All of this mess, began with Liam. And with him, you also let the witch into your life. _She_ is powerful, Zayn. I wouldn't be surprised if she was already out there, waiting for you." he says. And with that the man turns around and leaves.

☼

Liam sits on the window seat in the living room and stares out of the window, the sun just started to disappear behind a hill, giving the trees around him a creepy shadow. He looks into the darkening forest in front of him and then he sees it, two small light bulbs dancing through the air. Liam is alone in the living room, the three women have said goodnight about one hour ago. He watches the two light bulbs flying deeper into the forest, while dancing happily around each other.

Liam sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and gets off the window seat. Quietly, he walks towards the door and pulls the handle down. Liam sneaks one more look over his shoulder before stepping into the cool air. The door clicks shut almost silently, then he turns around. He lets his eyes search the forest before his eyes catch the two moving spots in the distance. His feet carry him away from the house and further into the forest.

The closer he gets to the light bulbs, the smaller his steps become, he can hear voices, it must come from the two flying light spots. Liam narrows his eyes as he gets closer. He can see two tiny bodies inside the light; with a head, a body, two arms, two hands, two legs, two feet and two small, almost invisible wings.

Liam watches them for a moment, the two little creatures are still unaware of his presence. With the next step he takes, his shadow changes and the two little creatures, that are not taller than his pinkie, turn around.

Both catch their breath and the smaller one hides behind the taller one.

"Sorry, I- I didn't want to scare you. I am not going to hurt you." Liam says gentle and raises his hands in surrender.

"Andy." a quiet voices says panicked and the younger one rests her hands on the other one's shoulders as her head peeks over the taller ones left shoulder.

"Stay behind me, Ria." The older one says and flies backwards, eyes locked with Liam.

Liam takes another step forward. "What are you?" Liam wonders curious.

"We should ask _you_ that." Andy snaps.

"You are not from here, are you?" Ria questions curiously from behind the older one and stops them from flying away.  

Liam shrugs, not sure how to answer that question. "Are you like a fairy?" he asks instead and takes another step forward and reaches his finger out to touch the creature.

"Don't touch her!" Ria says protective and slaps Liam's finger with a quick hand that appears over Andy's shoulder. "We are pixies." she adds and glares at him. Liam takes his finger back to himself and looks at his fingertip that was slapped, rightfully.

The two pixies stare at Liam for a beat, when suddenly the earth starts to shake underneath their feet. The smaller one takes a shaking breath in "Oh no!" her eyes go wide.

"Forest trolls!" Andy adds and the two start flying away faster than light travels.

Liam is suddenly left alone in the dark forest, the lights are gone. His heart beat picks up, he feels the ground shake underneath his own feet. Liam turns around and starts running towards the house when a scream cuts through the night, followed by another voice.

"Andy, no!"

Liam stops in his way and turns around, his feet make the decision before he can think about it. He starts running, the trees pass by him quicker than usual and his feet are running over the ground so fast, it almost feels like he flying.

He comes to an abrupt stop and hides behind a tree, then he watches over the scene in front of him; a dozen forest trolls are standing lined up, one of them has a net in their hand with a shadow trying to climb out but fails.bLiam swallows thickly, his hands start shaking next to his body.

"You have to help her!" A voice says next to his left ear. He turns his head and sees Ria standing on his shoulder, her legs are shaking, she is holding on to a strain of his hair for support.

"Alright." Liam agrees and starts chewing on his bottom lip. "And how?" he adds.

"We need them to drop the net." she informs him, her finger nail is finding her teeth. "Forest trolls are very stupid and have the attention span of a two year old. You can distract them and I am going to take the net." She tells him the plan.

Liam wants to ask how a creature in the size of his pinkie could take a net that is the size of his entire arm, but then he remembers that ants exist and keeps his mouth shut.

"Or-" Liam says instead, because his option seems a lot safer for all three of them. He stretches his arm out. Ria watches him with a raised eyebrow. Liam focuses on the net, at first he follows with his arm the moving net and then, with one quick motion to the ground, the net falls and hits the ground with a loud thud.

"Oh my god!" Ria cries out and flies away from the man. "Y-you are the witch." she eyes him with wide eyes.

"Yes, I am." Liam agrees absently, his eyes are still focused on the forest trolls.

The forest trolls start panicking as they run confused in circles, not paying the net on the ground any attention.

"Ria!" The other pixie comes shooting towards them and reaches for Ria's hand by passing but the smaller one stays where she is, stopping the other one.

"This is the witch. She is-" Ria starts and stares at the man. Before the pixie can finish her sentence, though, there are being interrupted by loud screams from the trolls.

"Oh no!" Ria exclaims and Andy drags the younger one with her to hide in Liam's hair.

Liam really _really_ wishes Zayn would appear right now, but he doesn't. His feet carry them over the forest ground, deeper and deeper into the unknown darkness.

"Where is Zayn when you need him?" He complains.

"Don't run, _fight!_ " Andy yells, fingers holding on tight to his hair.

"I am not good at this spontaneous magic thing." Liam admits, his feet are flying over the cold ground underneath him. Liam doesn't dare to look behind himself.

"Just do something, _anything!_ " Ria yells, head turned over her shoulder. Suddenly her feet are being dragged backwards by _something_.

"Mr. Witch!" She cries out panicked as she pulls a few hair out of his skull as she is getting sucked backwards into the net.

"Ria!" Andy screams, voice breaking halfway through. Liam stops in his way and turns back around to face the dozen forest trolls.

Liam watches Ria's shadow struggling in the net.

"Master." One of them says and bows. "I see the bad one has abandoned you." he continues.

"Just let her go." Liam replies, ignoring the statement  from the troll.

 "You can join us." another one says.

"We'd be powerful, together." he adds.

Liam glares at them while he collects his power in his right hand. Then he makes a quick movement forward; a strong wind blow knocks all ten trolls over, the net falls back to the ground and Ria escapes.

The pixie comes flying over towards him "Thank you!" She chokes out and hugs his nose. Liam giggles as the girl clings to his nose.

"Ria we should-" Andy's voice cuts through the air, Liam never hears the end of it, though.

He feels a sting in his neck, then his vision fades away and then he feels his body hit the ground.

☼

Liam wakes up, he feels a sting in his neck and his back is throbbing with pain. The ground underneath him is cold and hard and even though his eyes are still closed he can feel the limited space he has. Nevertheless, he heaves his upper body up with his elbows and knocks his forehead against the ceiling of the low cage he is stuck in.

Liam groans annoyed. He should have listened to Harry. He opens his eyes, the back side and the sides are closed with wood, the front side is made if a steel grid. He sees a fire burning in the distance where the forest trolls are sitting around, with the back towards the cage.

"Mr. Witch?" a soft and quiet voice interrupts the silence.

"Ria?" Liam replies and looks around, trying to find the light bulb, but there is none. Instead, he feels a hand laying down on his, it's a hand in human size. He quickly takes his hand away from the touch. "It's just me." The pixie says carefully and moves around in the cage.

Liam can feel her body moving in the small box, until she is laying between the front side and his body. The light glow of the fire, the stars and the moon is lighting up her skin, making it possible for Liam to see the shadow of her face. She is beautiful.

"You – you are human." Liam points out.

She furrows her eyebrows. "I am not. Don't say that. Pixies hate that comment. It takes away who we are." She frowns.

"Oh, ok." Liam says. "Sorry" he adds.

Ria doesn't give a reply.

"So, do you have any idea how to get out of here, too?" Liam questions.

 "We can't. This is a power proof box. That's why I am in this _form_. Your power doesn't work either." she sighs.

"Why are you here, though? Where is Andy?" Liam asks.

"Andy could escape. I got caught up in your hair as you fell and couldn't free myself." She explains.

"What happens now?" Liam wonders and swallows thickly.

The young girl breaks eye contact and looks down. "It's more important what happens to you, you are in bigger danger." she replies.

Liam narrows his eyes, "It's just as important what happens to you."

"No pixie ever came back after being taken away by forest trolls. We only know that they have the right to catch one of us every new moon." She responses. Her voice started to shake halfway through, "I am so sorry." she apologizes with a sniff and hides her face in her hands.

"Hey." Liam says gentle and scoots closer to the younger girl. "I promise you, I will do everything I can to free you." He says.

The pixie drops her hands and buries her face into Liam's dirty and smelly tee. "Thank you Mr. Witch." she hiccups.

"Please, call me Liam." he says before laying his arms protectively around her smaller body.

The small body starts to relax in his arms as he watches the stars in sky. Liam lets his mind travel, he thinks about his mom who has no idea in what kind of fucked up situation he is in right now. He is pretty sure he can say goodbye to the review of his work as an instructor. He thinks about his boys and whether they have already noticed he is gone or not. His eyelids get heavier, then his chin drops onto Ria's head and he falls asleep.

☼

"Thank god the fire didn't spread towards the camp." Niall says relieved and joins Louis and Harry on the couch.

Harry hums in agreement. "The fire was a warning sign for us, not for the humans."

"But from whom? The same one who stole the eye?" Louis questions.

"Could be. They stole the eye, then they set the fire."

"Who ever it was, they know about Liam." Harry says confident.

Niall worries on his bottom lip.

Louis opens his mouth to say something but closes it again and shakes his head before burying his face into his palm. "We never should have told Liam about this. This was our only mistake." He sighs.

"That all would have caught up with him sooner or later." Harry adds.

"Yeah, but we never would have gotten attached to him, we never would have started to care about him." Louis continues. No one replies to that.

Niall stands up off the couch "I need some fresh air." he explains and makes his way out of the room.

Louis and Harry watch after him as he leaves. They hear the door falling shut and then silence fills the walls of the house.

Harry scoots closer to Louis and lays his head down on his shoulder. "Let's get some sleep. Staying up all night doesn't change the situation either." He replies. Louis hums in response and lays his arms around Harry.

☼

Niall walks through the forest, the air around him still smells burnt. The trees are naked and made of dust. He walks through the thick forest, eyes getting heavier with every step but he can't sit down now and wait. He has to do something, even if it's only walking around in the forest.

Suddenly a quiet whimper is heard through the air. Niall furrows his eyebrow and listens closer. A repeat of the whimper echos through the night. Alarmed, Niall spreads his wings and catches his breath to pay more attention to the noise.

He hears it again and follows the sound. He sees a shadow on the ground, it's the form of a human. He takes another step forward and until the person comes into sight.

"Oh my god, Andy!" Niall exclaims and knees down next to the pixie, she is in her human size, an arrow is stuck in her left shoulder. She tries to lift her head but fails. Niall bents down to lift her up into his arms before he shoots into the sky and flies towards the house.

He storms inside, "Harry! Louis!" He yells and shuts the door with his foot. He enters the room and finds the two men rubbing sleepy their eyes for a moment before they lay eyes on the pixie in their friend's arms.

"Andy!" The two echo at the same time and stand up off the couch to make room. Niall lays her down.

"Pull the arrow out, I am making her a drink." Harry instructs and leaves the room without another word.

Louis pulls the arrow out and Niall wipes over her forehead with a warm cloth while they are waiting for Harry to get back.

Harry comes running into the room and bends over the body on the couch. Louis and Niall watch as Harry pours a substance into her mouth and closes it again.

Andy's fingers are the first one that move, then her eyes flutter open. "They have Ria." she says weakly, head laying flat on some pillows. The three furrow their eyebrows. "And the witch." She adds, voice not louder than a whisper. "He is a boy. And a good one. Saved me and Ria twice before they caught him." She says weak.

"We know." Louis says and wipes over the pixie's eyebrow. Andy furrows confused her eyebrow and locks eyes with Louis. "We have met him, so has Zayn." he continues. The pixie breaks the eye contact with Louis and lets her eyes fly around the room.

"By the way, where is Zayn? What happened?" She asks.

"Someone set a fire in the forest and the eldest think it was Zayn."

"It wasn't him." The pixie shakes her head. "Was it the witch?" she adds.

Niall shakes his head "No, it wasn't Liam either." He replies.

"But then who was it?" Andy questions, eyebrow furrowed in confusion.

Harry shrugs "We don't know." he shakes his head.

"Back to Ria and Liam, do you know the spot where the trolls caught you?" Louis changes the subject.

Andy nods "Near Kaja's and co's." she says and heaves herself off the couch but Niall uses his hand to guide her back down.

"You need to stay and rest." Niall instructs.

Andy huffs. "Ria is my sister, I need to see her." Andy argues.

"You are too weak. I am going to stay with you and mix you a few more drinks to help you to get back on your feet." Harry says.

"Good, Niall you come with me." Louis says.

"Bring her back to me." Andy says, locking eyes with the two on her side. They give a nod before turning around and leave the room.

☼

Liam is woken up by the sound of metal against metal. He opens his eyes and blinks at a dark  shadow opening the lock with a key. The witch narrows his eyes, the darkness isn't giving a lot away who is standing there.

"Master." a high pitched voice echos through the night. Liam's heart beat picks up as the door opens, he quickly lays his body protectively over Ria who is stirring awake. "Mr. Liam." she says tiredly and rubs her eyes.

"Master has to come." The troll says.

"Don't hurt her." Liam orders.

"Come with us, Master."  the troll says, ignoring Liam's wish.

"Mr. Liam." Ria cries panicked, brown scared eyes lock with his.

"I am not letting them hurt you, I promise." Liam says and squeezes the hand the pixie is holding towards him. Liam swallows thickly as he struggles to free his hand out of the girl's hand and crawls out of the cage; His legs go first then he shoves his body through the door.

Liam stretches his tired and weak body, the bones crack in his back. The troll quickly grabs for his right wrist and locks a leather bracelet around his wrist. "What-" Liam exclaims and tries to get it off, but he fails.

"It's for your own safety." the troll replies and guides Liam towards the fire.

"Mr. Liam!" Ria calls out for him, her tiny arms are reaching out for him through the metal grid. Liam turns around but he sees nothing but shadows. He tucks his bottom lip between his teeth and turns to face the direction where the troll is leading him.

Liam watches the fire sparks flying into the sky like he had last week at camp.

The trolls are standing around the fire. Liam narrows his eyes as the Troll leads him into the middle of the circle next to the fire. He clenches his fists by his side and watches as the one who had brought him here, fills a free spot. Another one steps forward.

"Master, we are very honored that you have chosen us". the creatures says.

Liam recognizes the troll as the one who had first talked to him a couple days ago. He furrows his eyebrow, confused. "You literally kidnapped me after shooting me with a poisoned arrow." he accuses.

"You are here now, and that is all that matters." the creatures says.

"Why are you keeping Ria when you have me?" Liam questions.

"We need the pixie's powder to survive." the troll explains.

Liam catches his breath and stares at the green creature in front of him. "And how do you get that powder?" He asks alarmed.

"By making her sweat, that's why we have the fire. She is still very young so she won't last long, that's why we wanted the older one." he replies. "But the younger the pixie is, the better the powder is." the trolls adds and takes a step towards Liam. Liam takes a step back.

The troll holds eye contact with him, then his eyes light up. Liam swallows thickly but is unable to move. He is frozen in place. Liam can hear Ria being dragged over. Her shaky breathes and complaints are being carried to his ears by the wind. He wants to help, wants to do something, but he can't. He is frozen in place, staring back into those lit up eyes while his heart beats in slow motion in his chest.

"Mr. Liam!" Ria cries out, as someone stops her right next to the fire behind Liam and forces her to sit on the root there. But Liam doesn't move, he _can't_ move. "They want my powder, Liam. I can't live without my powder!" she exclaims panicked. Liam feels his guts turn but can't do anything. Golden powder rolls off Ria's face. Her skin shimmers in the light of the moon and the fire. "Mr. Liam!" a choked voice cuts through the air.

A few tears roll down the pixie's cheek.

"She is crying, Master. Make her stop crying. Her tears are ruining the powder." the troll says. Liam turns around, his mind is telling his legs to _not_ turn, but his legs don't listen. Liam raises his arm against his will, his fingers point towards the little girl next to the fire. He feels the heat of his power leaving the tip of his fingers, then the tears dry on Ria's cheek and the sparkling dust rolls off her skin, again.

"Mr. Liam!" the pixie hiccups dry, her lip is wobbling under her nose.

Soft and quiet voices fill the air around them. Liam can make out three different voices filling the night. He listens, listens to the beautiful sound and lets his thoughts fly.

He slowly starts to feel his body again, then he blinks, once – twice, and his brain finally starts to have control over his own body again.

The green creatures around him are falling to the ground like flies, then his eyes fly over to the fire, Ria had fallen off the root and is laying in her pixie dust as more and more powder rolls off her skin.

"Ria-!" He calls out but someone grabs for his arm.

"Niall will take care of her." Louis' voice fills his ear.

Liam turns around and locks eyes with the soft blue eyes. "Louis!" He breathes out relieved

"Come on, I am going to fly you back to the Main Coons." He says and holds Liam to his chest. Louis looks over his shoulder and Liam does the same, they see Niall's white wings through the night picking up a sleeping figure on the ground. Then he shoots into the sky.

"Where is Niall taking her?" Liam wonders. "To Harry and Andy, there are at home."

"Andy? Is she ok?" Liam asks worried.

"She will be. Harry is the best healer in Naporia." Louis replies and then he shoots into the sky. Neither speak during the flight.

They touch down in front of the house from the three Main Coon's. "Kaja, Surra and Gabby are on their way." Louis informs him as he closes the door behind himself.

Liam sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and looks down. "Thank you.  I am sorry. I- I shouldn't have left." he apologizes, with his gaze downwards.

"You are right. You shouldn't have. But if you wouldn't have followed Andy and Ria, Andy would be stuck with the Trolls now." Louis says.

"What happens with the Pixie's?" Liam wonders curiously.

"The trolls use their powder to keep their enemies away. The pixie's can't survive without their dust." Louis says.

"But that's-" Liam struggles with his words.

"This isn't the world you grew up in, Liam. Eating or being eaten is the role here."

Liam shakes his head. "This is not fair."

"Yeah, the eldest already put a limit on it by only letting them go for a haunt once in a half year. And they don't always catch one."

The door swings open and the three women walk inside.

Louis watches them enter the house and steps towards the door. "Wait, Louis. Have you heard anything from Zayn?" Liam questions.

Louis shakes his head and looks down. "We'll let you know when we do. And you are grounded." Louis warns and disappears out of the door.

"I am sorry for leaving in the middle of the night." he says to the three women.

They give him a half smile. “You have saved a life today.” Surra says and squeezes his arm.

“Get some rest.” Gabby smiles.

“Goodnight.” Kaja adds and walks with her girlfriends into the their bedroom.

Liam watches the door falling shut and then he walks over towards the couch. He kicks his shoes off, lays his legs up on the cushion and pulls the blanket to his chinn.

***

Liam heard muffled voices, with every breath the voices became clearer. Then a picture showed up, he was standing in a room, with Leeroy and Liane but neither seem to see him.

"You need to stop seeing her! Witches and Angels are two different kinds. Have you ever seen a troll and a pixie hanging out? Have you ever seen a nymph and a centaur hanging out? No!" The woman's voice echoed through the room in a loud yell.

"I don't care, mom. I love Zendaya. Why can't you let us be?" Leeroy's voice filled the room; louder than his mom had.

"Because my Grandma made a deal. She finally found a way to live with the angels to give your generation and the ones that follow a safe environment to grow up in. Do you realize how hard it was to grow up in a time where running away and hiding was everyday life? And you are going to ruin what your Great grandma has built, out of selfishness!" Liane sayid to her son.

"Me? Being selfish? You tell me that I can't be with the woman I love. It could bring the witches and angels so much closer. It could unite us!" Leeroy argued.

 "Zaahir was here, and if you are not going to stay away from her he is going to kill every witch on this planet. The angels will own the world, Leeroy. I cannot let you do this. There was a deal made for a reason, and now we have to live by it!"

"Is that your last word?" Leeroy raised his eyebrow. Liane nods and then the picture disappears _._

***


	5. Chapter 5

#  Day Seventeen

 

Zayn's back hurts from the cold and hard stones he is laying on. He wants his warm cozy bed that still smells like Liam. It's crazy how well he remembers his touch on his skin, how he remembers his sweet smell that tickles his hair in his nose when he is breathing him in and how easily his lungs expand for the sweetnes of Liam. He remembers the feeling he gets when Liam is looking at him, how his heart skips a beat, how his brain turns into mush. He is in love with him. He really is.

Zayn feels his body relax and feels sleep washing over him. Before long he hears footsteps coming closer, they come to a stop by his cage. Zayn opens his eyes and blinks at the light coming from a few lamps.

Daniel is standing on the other side of the grid.

"What do you want?" Zayn groans. He doesn't get an answer though, instead he hears a key in the lock, clicking the door open. Zayn sits up and stares at the open door.

"Come." Daniel instructs, Zayn can tell that he isn't happy about his actions either. But Zayn stands up and walks out of the cage. He follows Daniel without a word.

Zayn squints his eyes shut as they step outside. He hasn't seen the sun in days and today it seems to shine extra bright. He takes a deep breath and fills his lungs with fresh air before he climbs into the car that Daniel had disappeared in.

The car drive isn't long, it stops at a hotel where the two men step outside. Zayn sees two centaurs standing next to the entrance, greeting Daniel as they pass. Zayn furrows is eyebrows as he follows the man. The elevator takes them to the highest floor. They stop in front of a room and enter before the eldest closes the door behind himself.

"The fire wasn't you. It was the witch." Daniel says. Zayn furrows his eyebrows confused and bites his lip. Liam didn't set the fire, he is 100% sure. "I am keeping you here for my son's and your own protection. There are guards everywhere. If you need anything call the reception or tell one of the guards. I am forbidding you any kind of contact with my son, Harry or Niall." Daniel adds.

"But-" Zayn tries to argue.

"You don’t have a choice, Zayn. You should be thankful that I give you all this."

"Thank you." Zayn says, because he feels like this is appropriate, now.

"I don't do this for you, I do this for Louis." Daniel states and turns around. The door clicks shut.

Zayn turns around and sees a plate of pancakes and fruit and a comfortable looking bed. He sucks his bottom lip between his teeth. He decides to take a hot shower first.

The hot water is taking the dirt off his skin, and disappears through the drain. He uses the provided shampoos and takes extra care of his feathers. He towel dries himself afterwards and jumps onto the bed. Then he eats the pancakes and fruits in one go.

☼

Harry and Louis walk down the stairs to the living room. They see Andy still sitting in the same position on the floor next to Ria, who is still asleep on the couch. Andy is dipping a cloth into a water bowl before laying it on the girl's forehead.

"Has she woken up?" Harry asks curious.

Andy shakes her head "No, but she is breathing and her heart is beating." She says relieved.

"All we can do now, is wait until she wakes up. Her body has gone into a surviving mode to reproduce her powder. We need to make sure that her body stays cool, we can't risk her losing any more dust." Harry explains. Andy nods and wipes over her eyes that have gone wet.

"But she will be fine." she says choked, it sounded more like a question though.

Harry nods.

"She will. Now you go get some rest, too." Louis replies and lays a fluffy blanket over her shoulder. Harry helps her getting to her feet, then he lays her arm around his shoulder to help her walk. Harry slings his arm underneath Andy's legs and arms and carries her up the stairs. By the time he lays her down onto the bed, her eyes have fallen shut. He tucks her in and presses a kiss to her forehead before leaving the room, the door stays wide open behind him.

Harry is on his way back towards the entrance of the living room when a sudden weight is pushing him backwards against the wall where the steps are leading upwards. " _Ughf._ " he sighs as his back hits the wall. He looks up and locks eyes with blue eyes, a soft smile starts to grow on his lips. "Lou?" Harry questions amused.

"I am just glad that you are here, and that you are fine, and-" Louis interrupts himself to peck Harry's lips. "-that I can do this." he adds and pecks Harry's lips again. Harry slings his arms around Louis' neck to keep him close.

"Gross!" Niall comments as he comes walking down the stairs.

As the two look up to their friend, they see a smile on his lips. "I am taking a flight." Niall announces. "So you have more time to be gross, but remember that Ria is still a minor, meaning, a baby." Niall orders.

Harry and Louis roll amused their eyes. They watch him leave the house before continuing where they had left off.

☼

Niall lets the warm wind hit his face, he feels the air rushing through his feathers, he gets this warm and cozy feeling in his stomach that he only gets when he is flying. That must be what Louis and Harry feel when they are together. It also must be what Zayn and Liam feel. But Niall, he only feels whole and complete when he is looking down on the clouds. He enjoys the silence up here.

Niall hums a random tune he has heard somewhere when suddenly a loud scream and then more screams fill the air around him. Niall stops for a beat and shoots towards the earth. Another scream hits his ears and Niall follows it. The scream leads him to a hiking park in the mountains. He catches his breath when he recognizes Aalam staring up at a shadow who is hanging off a suspension bridge.

It's not too high, but definitely too high for a safe landing after a fall.

Niall flies towards the hanging boy. He overhears a few adults calling that help is on their way. Niall lets his eyes wander over the bridge, a wooden board cracked underneath his step.

"I am Niall." Niall introduces himself to the boy who is fighting with holding onto the wet board.

"Am I dead, yet?" The boy panics as blue eyes stare back at him.

"No." Niall replies with a chuckle. "I am not going to let you die, don't worry."

"Josh, hold on. Help is on the way!" A woman says from the way. About five teenagers are standing behind her, shaking with fear.

Niall slings his arms around Josh's middle from behind. "Let go." he says gentle.

"Are you mad? We are going to fall." Josh exclaims.

"Trust me." Niall says.

"I can't hold on any longer!" He yells panicked when his finger slip off the wood. Then he falls with Niall holding him. They are falling, until they are right above the ground, then Niall breaks the fall and lays Josh carefully down on the ground.

Niall waits until he feels Josh's heartbeat calming down before he lets go of him. He is watching a circle of adults and children and teenagers built around them. They don't see him, or that's what he thought.

"I don't know where you are, but thank you Zayn's friend." Aalam whispers pretty close to him.

Josh opens his eyes  and blinks up at the curious eyes watching him. He is about to move but an adult falls to their knees to keep him on the ground. "Don't move. Not before a doctor checked you out."

Josh blinks weakly, his vision is getting blurry. He turns his head to where Niall is still kneeling next to him. "Thank you." he says before he passes out.

Niall feels the boy's pulse, it's steady and strong. He waits by the man's side until the ambulance arrives. A few minutes later the car arrives and two assistants heave Josh onto a stretcher before loading him into the ambulance. Everyone is standing around the car, watching the closed door.

"Psssst." Aalam whispers, while wandering around, away from the others. Niall furrows his eyebrows and walks closer to hear him better. "Do you know where Liam is?" the little boy wonders and stares at a piece of paper in front of him.

Niall bites his lip, he is not allowed to show his presence to anyone else other than that one person who is in danger. But his heart breaks at the sight of the little kid. He can tell how quickly Aalam had bonded with Liam and Zayn. So he takes a deep breath in and scribbles a yes onto the paper.

The kid's eyes light up. "Where is he? Is he ok? Is he with Zayn? I won't have to worry if he is with Zayn." he says happily.

Niall hesitates. "Hello? Angel?" Aalam asks and drops his eyes sadly. "Come back." he chokes on his own words. "Will Liam come back? I didn't have the chance to say goodbye." Aalam adds and looks through the air, passing Niall a couple times while doing so.

Niall takes the pen and writes a reply. "You'll see him again." he writes.

"Can you tell him and Zayn I said hi?"

"Will do." Niall replies through handwriting and adds two angel wings underneath it.

Niall turns around and goes back to the ambulance. He sighs relieved when Josh's voice is coming out of the car. One side of the door is now open and the other one closed.

"I am fine." Josh says.

"Alright, but here are still some pills, take them and let us know if anything occurs, alright?" One of the emergency assistants says.

"I will." Josh agrees.

"You really must have had a life guardian angel." the other tells him.

"Yeah, I did."

Niall knows that Josh doesn't remember him, to him the angel wasn’t more than a trick of mind that appeared when he was in a life threatening situation.

Niall looks over his shoulder one more time and catches a knowing smile on Aalam's lips, then he shoots up into the sky.

☼

Liam sits on the window seat with a tea in his hands as he watches the birds outside. His mind is repeating the dream he had over and over again. He is bored and has tried more than enough to get that bracelet off but nothing will cut the leather.

The three women are sitting on the couch, watching a movie together. Liam jumps up from the window seat when he sees a too familiar face walking towards the door. "It's Virna" he informs the cat women and opens the door.

"Zayn is free. They must have figured out that Zayn didn't set the fire." She informs.

Liam's heart starts beating in his chest. "Can I see him?" He asks hopeful.

The woman shakes her head. Liam sighs. "I don’t know where he is and even if I would know, you can't. That bracelet will expose you to everyone, meaning it'll be your death sentence." Virna says straight out with no hesitation. Liam swallows thickly and doesn't ask further questions.

☼

Louis changes the wet cloth on Ria's forehead. Harry is mixing another drink. "The sparkle on her skin is coming back. She will wake up soon." he says with a smile. Louis opens his mouth to reply but someone else speaks before he has the chance.

Daniel enters the room, white wings spread behind his back. "Zayn could leave the prison." he informs, eyes flying from his son to Harry to Ria.

"What happened to Ria?" he asks worried and takes a few steps closer.

"The flu, a really bad one." Harry lies in a whisper.

The man nods "She is in good hands." he says then, saying it directly to Harry with a half smile. Those words mean a lot more, though.

Harry's smile breaks his face in half. "Thank you."

Louis steps closer to Harry and rests proudly his hand on his shoulder while locking eyes with his father. "When can we see Zayn?" he questions then.

Daniel furrows his eyebrows, "Not until the witch is dead."

Louis swallows thickly.

"I do this for your own good, Louis. The fire was only the beginning. As soon as _it_ has crossed the barrier we will catch it and end it." he says determined. Louis tightens his grip on Harry's shoulder. "I just wanted to let you know." Daniel says.

Louis and Harry give a nod and watch Daniel turning around.

"Thank you, dad." Louis says, stopping the man from taking another step. "Thank you." he repeats and steps closer to his father. "This really means alot to me." he says and embraces his father in his arms. Daniel hugs him back and then he leaves without another word.

Louis turns around and smiles at Harry. Harry smiles back. Louis walks towards him and cups his face in his hands while crouching down. Harry giggles and blinks lazily at the man in front of him with a stupid smile on his face. Louis tucks a loose curl behind Harry's ear, then he leans in to peck his lips.

"What was that for?" Harry giggles and slings his arms around Louis' neck.

Louis shrugs and holds Harry closer around his waist. He looks up at him, "For everything." he says.

Harry chuckles and leans down to peck Louis' lips. "You are welcome." he giggles. Louis giggles back.

"Any news?" A yawn comes from the doorframe. It's Andy. The two pull away from each other.

 "Well, not regarding Ria, but Zayn could leave prison." Louis says.

"Where is he now?" she asks.

"We don't know. My dad didn't tell us." Louis replies.

Andy changes easily into her pixie form and flies towards Harry and Louis. "I'll look for him" she says and flies towards the closed window.

 "Are you sure you feel well enough?" Harry questions.

"I am," The pixie nods and lets her eyes fly to her sister on the couch. "I'll be back," she says and waits for Harry to open the window.

"Thank you." he tells her. She gives him a warm smile before she flies away.

☼

Zayn is laying on the hotel bed and  stares at the ceiling. Then he hears a knock against the window. He furrows confused his eyebrows and sits up. He steps closer to the window with narrowed eyes, then a smile spreads over his lips when he sees Andy on the other side. Zayn opens the window and the pixie flies inside.

"Andy!" he says happily.

"Zayn!" She greets him with a big smile. "How are you?" she asks.

"I am fine. And you? Where is Ria? I have never seen you both separated." He asks curious.

Andy's face falls. "We had a bit of trouble and dragged Liam into it. But both are fine. Well, Ria is still asleep, but Harry is taking good care of her." She rambles.

"What happened?" Zayn asks.

"Forest trolls. Liam saved us, Zayn. He is nothing like the history says. He is a good one, like you." She says.

Zayn grins "He is, I need to see him." He says then and wipes his palms on his pants.

The pixie tilts her head. "My powder could help you." She suggests.

"You need your dust." Zayn shakes his head.

The pixie sighs and flies into the bathroom. The blow dryer echos through the room.

Zayn follows her and leans against the door and fonds at the pixie in human size as little stars are dropping off her cheeks. "I love you." he says.

 "I know." Andy grins and scoobs the powder into her hands before walking towards Zayn. The angel closes his eyes and the pixie blows the sparkling dust onto Zayn.

"I love these loopholes." he beams as he slowly turns invisible.

"Me too. It gives me the chance to be reckless." She wiggles her eyebrows. "Now let's go." she says. They leave through the window and disappear in the clouded sky.

☼

Liam is moving his lunch on his plate. "C'mon, Liam. Eat at least a little bit."

Sura says concerned. "He is in love, babe." Gabby points out with a fond smile.

"I know that feeling too well." Kaja says dreamily and locks eyes with the other two women at the table. Liam doesn't respond to the women's conversation. He is more focused on making angel wings with his peas than actually eating them.

"Liam?!" A voice cuts through the walls. Liam’s head shoots up at the sound of _his_ voice. "Liam!?" the voice calls again, followed by a wild knocking on the door. Liam jumps off his chair and towards the door, he pulls it open.

They stare at each other. It's been only a few days, but it has felt like years.

"Come on inside before anyone sees you!" Surra says from behind Liam. Zayn takes a few steps forward before letting his eyes wander over Liam's entire body. His eyes freeze on the bracelet, he immediately reaches out and cups Liam's wrist gentle in his hand.

"Does it hurt? Is it from the forest trolls? What did they do to you?" Zayn blurs out and tries to undo the leather bracelet, but fails.

"It's fine. And I have tried everything to get it off bu-" Liam begins but someone cuts him off.

"Zayn!" It's Louis. Liam didn't even realize that the others were there, too.

Liam looks at the angel who is stepping inside, Zayn is only turning his upper body. Louis' eyes are focused on Liam's wrist where – where Zayn is touching him.

Zayn immediately takes his hand away and tries to find anything in Liam's eyes. "Were you in pain?" he asks curious.

Liam shakes his head. "You?" he ashs back but Zayn shakes his head.

"Who gave this to you?" Harry wonders and steps forward to take a closer look at it.

"A troll." Liam replies. "I can't use my magic either." he adds, feeling like this is important information.

"It must block your power, or something." Niall points out.

Liam nods and darts his eyes back to Zayn as a finger traces over his skin. Zayn's eyes are focused on the spot he is touching with a wide grin on his lips. Liam smiles back. Zayn intertwines their hands and locks eyes with Liam.

Niall sighs from behind them and lets himself drop onto the couch. "I don't know about you, but I am happy to be back in a room with the four you." Niall says. Zayn drops Liam's hand and jumps on top of his friend. Niall lets out a _ughff_ before his laugh fills the house.

"You don't need to be jealous, Nialler. I have enough love for you, too." he says and presses a kiss to Niall's cheek.

Niall rolls his eyes fondly. "I’m not jealous. But I love you, too. Now go and be gross with Liam somewhere else where I don't have to witness it." he says amused and pushes his friend off of himself.

Zayn greets the three women with a hug and a kiss to their cheeks, then he hugs Louis and Harry and takes Liam's hand before walking towards the door with him.

"You stay close by." Louis says as Liam and Zayn walk by.

The door falls shut behind them and Liam and Zayn sit down on the ground next to the house. "I can't believe that I can touch you." Zayn says happily. "I like the way you feel." he adds.

"I like your touch, too." Liam agrees and closes his eyes as Zayn's finger wanders over his hand and arm. His head is resting on Zayn's shoulder.

"Do you remember when we were in the alley?" Zayn starts. Liam hums in agreement. "Virna said you only feel like you did, because of the alliance." he finishes.

Liam opens his eyes. "That feeling has always been there, it just got stronger thourgh the alliance. But it never left." he says honestly.

Zayn bites his lip as a smile starts building on his face. He turns on his side and looks at the man next to him. “I wish I could kiss you.” he says.

“You can.” Liam says.

Zayn shakes his head and reaches his hand out. He traces Liam’s lips with his thumb. “I don’t want to hurt you.” he says.

☼

The sun goes down quickly. The five men and the three women are sitting on the couch, watching TV. Zayn is still tracing patterns on Liam's skin. Harry is tucked into Louis' side. And Niall has his legs on Zayn's lap and his head is resting on Louis' shoulder.

"You five would be a cute poly couple." Gabby points out.

"We are, kind of." Niall agrees with a bright smile.

Zayn tickles his feet and Niall pulls them away out of reflex before laying them back down.

"Why aren't you in a relationship?" Liam questions curious, eyes jumping to Niall.

"I am AroAce, all I need is right here." he replies.

Liam just stares at him. "AroAce means that I am not sexually nor romantically attracted to people." He explains.

Liam gives a nod. "How does it work? Like? So you don't want to be in a relationship?" Liam wonders.

 Niall snorts "Yeah basically. I don’t see the point, you know. When I want a cuddle I can come to you guys and to be honest, I think kissing and sex is gross, so." he finishes with a shrug. Blue honest eyes locked with Brown curious ones. Liam nods along and focuses his eyes back on the TV.

A knock against the door interrupts the comfortable silence in the house. Gabby stands up, seven heads follow the woman towards the door. Gabby opens the door and freezes. A few moments later a hand shoves her  to the side and a man with white wings steps inside.

Blue cold eyes lock with Zayn's brown ones, then they jump over to Liam's. Liam swallows thickly. No one speaks, no one breathes, other than Daniel. Liam feels fear creeping up his neck and spreading through his entire body. Zayn lays his hand over Liam's on the couch to hide the bracelet.

"So, you are Liam?" Daniel begins and musters the man on the couch next to Zayn.

"Yes." Liam replies.

The man takes a step closer to the couch and locks eyes with Zayn. "Pretty selfish of you for not only bringing my son and your best friends in danger, you also drag a human into this." he finishes.

Zayn swallows thickly and holds Liam's hand tighter. His eyes fly from Daniel to the others to Liam. Zayn feels the leather bracelet on his skin, he knows it's not safe for Liam or the others or himself to be here. But he can't stay away. Especially not now that he is able to touch Liam.

Zayn turns his head to look back at Daniel. "I am not leaving." he says then, eyes locked.

Daniel sighs and shakes his head. "You are going to regret that decision." he grits through his teeth and leaves without another word.

All eyes are on Zayn but his eyes are only focused on one person. Liam.

**  
**

#  Day Eighteen

 

***

Liam heared two women giggle. The screen in front of his eyes showed nothing though, but he recognized Liane's voice. The nothing in front of him turned into a hallway where a light was shimmering out of a room followed by voices. He took a few steps closer to the door and peeked into the room. He saw Liane standing by a vinyl player while putting the needle onto the disk. A soft tune started filling the air. Liam narrowed his eyes as he watched the two women meet in the middle, their arms are around each other as they move gentle to the tune.

"You are sure you’re alone?" the other woman questioned.

Liane gave a nod. "I am. Don't worry Heather."

Well, this was expected but Liam's eyes still almost drop out of his skull. The way they moved through the room and the way they held each other like only lovers could. Maybe that's why Zaahir killed Liane. The screen in front of Liam started to fade out as the two women leaned in for a kiss.

***

Liam wakes up to a soft touch on his cheek, the body underneath his head is slowly moving up and down with every breath. "Zayn?" Liam whispers into the dark. A few weak rays of sunshine are slowing cutting through the dark outside

"Yeah, babe?" Zayn replies quietly.

"I am glad that you are staying." he says and changes from laying on his side, to laying onto his belly, elbows and chin resting on Zayn's chest as he looks up. Their eyes meet.

"Me too." Zayn says and uses his thumb to gently draw along Liam's eyebrows. Liam gives a happy smile and reaches for the necklace around Zayn’s neck. It’s a panel, one side shows angel wings and the other side shows a hand.

"How do you feel about an early swim, just you and me, before everyone wakes up?" Zayn suggests.

Liam smiles, "That sounds great." he agrees.

The two get up off the couch, making sure not to wake up the rest of the house. Louis is the only one sleeping in the living room, being on 'watch' duty. Harry and Niall are sleeping in one of the guest rooms. Zayn and Liam tip toe towards the door, fingers locked firm between their bodies. The door clicks open, the sound echos through the silent house. There is no sound when they step outside, except of the clock and the door falling shut.

They run for a bit, carefree laughter is bouncing off the trees around them. Then Zayn closes his arms around Liam's body and shoots with him into the sky. The sun is only peeking over the edge in the horizon as they fly through the cloud free sky.

They land by a river, a waterfall is dropping into the water towards their left.

The two get rid of their clothes , only leaving their boxers on, and then they are chasing each other into the water. The cool water feels nice against Liam's hot skin. They go into the deeper part and Zayn pulls Liam closer by his waist. Their bodies bump in the water. Liam slings his arms around Zayn's neck who leans in, presses soft kisses to Liam’s cheek and neck.

They hear two giggles from around them. They pull away startled. Liam furrows his eyebrows at the two water nymphs on the rock. Liam takes a step behind Zayn and hides his right arm with the bracelet.

Zayn lays secure his arm around Liam's waist, a playful smile is playing on his lips.

"Don't you think it's a bit too early for you to be awake?" Zayn grins fondly at the two.

Tjaša and Paul shake their heads. "We come out more often to watch the sunrise from here, and dad says it's a good exercise for us." The girl shrugs.

The boy giggles next to his sister "We caught Harry and Louis making out here a few days ago." he says.

"Well, it's really nice here." Zayn says.

The two water nymphs drop into the water and swim over. Liam clenches his fists and and freezes.

"It's ok, Liam. They are my friends." Zayn leans towards his ear.

"Who is your friend?" Tjaša questions curiously, her head is the only body part seen.

"Liam." Zayn replies.

" _Ooohh._ " The girl teases as a purple and fish tale is poking out of the water behind her.  "He is handsome." She points out and swims closer to Liam.

Paul is watching curiously from behind his sister, then his eyes drop to the water, focused on the waves caused by the rotation of the earth. The boy's face changes from curiosity to worry, then a concerned frown takes over his forehead.

Tjaša turns around to focus on her brother. Paul looks back up and stares at Liam while swimming backwards. His eyes switch back and forth between Zayn and Liam, shock written all over his face. Paul waves his sister over and leans in to whisper into her ear. The colour disappears from her face.

"He is the witch." she says then and points towards Liam. Liam bites his bottom lip and steps behind Zayn, scared of what will happen next.

"You know?" Paul states surprised, eyes locked with Zayn.

Zayn gives a confused nod. "How do you know?" Zayn asks.

"I can talk to the water, no one knows it, though. Only Tjaša." he explains.

"I can keep a secret, and I know you can, too." Zayn says then.

The siblings nod and swim closer to the two men. Paul and  Tjaša circle around the them. "You are the witch, and you don't feel the need to hurt him?" Paul wonders.

"I don't." Liam confirms with a shake of his head.

"Maybe the fairytales are all real." Paul points out. "Maybe love is stronger than any curse in the world." he thinks out loud.

☼

"I still don't think this is a good idea." Louis points out.

"I agree." Harry says.

"Me too." Niall adds.

 "We have covered the bracelet, he'll be fine." Zayn says and lays his arm protectively around Liam.

"If you say so." Louis shrugs and opens the door to the club.

They enter the room, the colours of the rainbow wander randomly through the room, the stage is currently empty.

Niall, Zayn and Liam sit down at a table and watch Harry and Louis walking towards the bar to get their drinks.

Liam watches a man coming out of the backstage area door. He crouches down with a big smile on his lips as a little boy runs into his arms. The man picks him up and laughs happily as they walk towards the exit. A woman is standing there, watching them and presses a kiss to the man's lips. Their mouth say Hi, then their fingers tangle between their bodies before they disappear in the hallway that leads towards the exit.

The warm hand on his leg catches his attention, he knows it's Zayn's. Liam turns his head and smiles at the man next to him. The shadows from Louis and Harry and two others breaks their moment.

"Guys, these are Roni and Miss Marisa." Harry introduces them, his voice is barely hearable over the loud music. Liam smiles at the two Drag Queens behind Louis and Harry and reaches for a cup to pull it towards himself on the table. Roni slings her arm over Harry's shoulder and leans towards his eyes.

"Come on, Eddy. Just for one performance." Marisa begs.

Liam, Zayn and Niall raise confused their eyebrows at them, not being able to make out the words.

"It's been so long, I bet you miss it, too." Roni chimes in.

Harry takes a deep breath and turns towards Louis.

"You should." Louis says and clears his throat, hoping he doesn't sound as eager as he feels, which he does.

"Fine." Harry agrees, dimples showing.

"Awesome." Roni and Miss Marisa cheer before dragging Harry with them.

"Where is Harry going?" Liam asks curious, talking louder than usual to be heard over the music.

"He used to perform here with the Drag Queens." Louis says over the music. "That's all I know." he adds.

"Harry the secret performer, why am I not surprised." Niall cackles, his laughter mingles with the music, Zayn joins him.

A few minutes later the music cuts off and a white light focuses on the stage. Guests around them cheer as their eyes  are frozen on the stage.

A melody kicks in, followed by a deep raspy voice that sounds familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time. Louis, Zayn, Niall and Liam mouth drop open when Harry enters center stage. He is wearing a pair of black leather shorts, black suspenders over his shoulder and a collar. Louis chokes on his spit.

Harry takes another step forward, his voice is bouncing off the walls around them. Roni enters the stage from the left and Marisa from the right. Two steps forward one step back. Hips moving to the bass of the song until they reach Harry in the middle. Both rest their elbow closest to Harry on his shoulder and press a kiss to his check each.

Harry turns to his left and takes Roni's hand in his while circling under her arm. Then he goes to Marisa and does the same before walking forwards to the edge of the stage, eyes meeting Louis' for the first time since he had walked out into the spotlight.

Marisa and Roni start harmonizing with each other while staying in the background, letting Harry be the center of attention.

And he loves it.

He really does.

The three leave the stage to mingle with the guests, Harry walks straight towards Louis. He pulls him off the seat, causing all the watchers to cheer happily. Harry giggles into his microphone at Louis' shocked face. He moves around the smaller man, always somehow keeping body contact.

Harry finishes the song and presses his lips to Louis'. Louis kisses back, arms tightly around Harry's naked torso. The two pull away as Roni's voice echos through the microphone.

"A loud applause for Eddy!" she says and the guests whistle and cheer happily.

A random songs cuts through the air, signalizing the end of the performance.

"Come on, let's dance!" Zayn says eagerly and pulls Liam up on his arm. Zayn rests his hand on Liam's hips and pulls him closer until their noses brush.

Liam lays his arms around Zayn's neck. "So, do you come here often?" Liam questions.

Zayn narrows amused his eyes, "Why? Jealous?" he grins.

"Just wondering." Liam replies.

"No, this is my first time here." Zayn says honestly.

Louis is staring at Harry with his bottom lip tucked between his teeth, "I like those suspenders on you." he says grinning and rubs his thumb over the leather on Harry's shoulder.

Niall watches them with a raised eyebrow before darting his eyes back into his drink before looking around room, trying to find someone else who is looking for a chat.

He finds Daniel instead.

"Uhm, guys, I don't really like to interrupt your moment, but- uhm- Louis." He says and nods his head into the direction his father is.

Louis turns around and freezes as he locks eyes with his dad. He takes a step away from Harry who rubs nervously on his neck as the man walks over.

"Are you stalking me now?" Louis eyes his father.

"I am just trying to protect you." the man agues.

"Anything else?" Louis rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest.

The man eyes Harry up and down and looks back to Louis.

"I am going to change." Harry mumbles under his breath and squeezes Louis' hand that he is holding before walking to the backstage door.

Louis watches after him.

Daniel's eyes fly to Liam and Zayn who are still dancing on the floor surrounded by the strangers. A light flies over them, capturing them in a yellow light. As the light moves over them something reflects the light. The bracelet. Neither of the dancing men noticed it. Neither did Niall who is stirring his drink with the straw.

But Daniel did and so did Louis.

Daniel catches his breath and stares at Liam's wrist. Then he takes a warning step forwards and spreads his wings.

"Witch!" He shouts over the music. The music cuts off instantly and everyone freezes in place. Zayn tightens his grip around Liam, his eyes lock with Daniel. Liam's heartbeat picks up in his chest. The finger of Louis' dad is pointed straight at him.

Panic breaks out, creatures around them start screaming and running over each other. Zayn and Liam take that moment to disappear in the chaos. Daniel is turning around, everyone who runs past him is bumping into him. He turns back around, seeing Louis and Niall staring at him.

☼

Zayn and Liam escape  into the backstage room. It's empty. Both of their hearts are beating quickly and yet in tune in their chest. Zayn reaches for Liam wrists to inspect the bracelet. He turns back around and opens every drawer. "Fuck!" he curses and rests his hands on the table. Zayn looks at his reflection, then at Liam. He reaches for nail polish and hits the mirror with it. The glass shatters in a few pieces. Zayn reaches for a big one and then the door flies open. Daniel is standing in the threshold and stares at them. "You know?" he asks shocked and  takes a quick step towards them.

Zayn is quicker though, he tightens his grip around the piece of mirror, gives the costume rug a shove with his other hand and drags Liam out of the room.

The costume rug is blocking Daniel's way.

"What now?" Liam asks panicked, hand tight in Zayn's. They run along the corridor and into Virna's empty office. Zayn shuts the door and spreads his wings. "Cut the bracelet!" Zayn instructs and hands Liam the sharp piece of mirror. Liam can't keep his hand still, he keeps sliding off the leather.

Zayn opens the window and tightens his  grip around Liam's torso before shooting out of the room. "What- Where-" Liam stumbles over his words while trying to control the piece of mirror in his hands.

Daniel appears next to them, "Drop him!" he demands from their left.

"No!" "Zayn shoots back  while trying to maneuver away from the man. They break through the barrier.

Daniel knocks into Zayn and Liam, making Zayn losing his balance for a moment. Liam still struggles with the mirror piece in his hand. Daniel goes in again, bumping into the Zayn. Zayn presses his lips to a thin line but keeps his eyes focused forwards.

A few shadows appear next to them, they are surrounded by angels. Zayn tightens his grip around Liam and buries his chin into Liam's hair.

The angels cave in around them, two reach for Zayn's legs, other two reach for his arms to get them away from Liam.

"Liam!" Zayn says thickly.

"Zayn!" Liam says as he tries to hold on to Zayn, but he can't.

He falls.

He can hear Zayn call for him, he can hear his own voice call for Zayn.

Suddenly something breaks his fall, he can hear a the dull sound of wings moving. He cracks his eyes open and looks up and sees branches. Liam moves his head and realizes that the tree had caught him with its mouth on the collar of his tee. The dragon moves his head and sets Liam down on his back before shooting through the sky. Liam holds onto his neck, "Thank you!" he whispers. It's only now that he figures that the bracelet is gone.

"Zayn!" Liam says under his breath and the dragon stops in his way. He doesn’t have to voice his thoughts, the dragon turns around and flies back. He can hear Zayn's calls from afar. They fly closer, his right arm is stretched out before he can think about doing it.

 _You can do anything_ , Liam remembers the words, as they fly towards the fighting scene. Liam makes a quick hand gesture downwards, dragging every angel away from Zayn.

"Liam!" Zayn calls out. The tree stops and turns around to fly into a different direction. "I will find you!" he yells after them. And Liam believes him.

Liam is looking forwards where the dragon is flying, they break through the barrier. From up here, Liam can see the lake where he and Zayn had been this morning, the dragon flies over the waterfall and follows the water. Liam furrows his eyebrows at the darkness that begins where the water is coming from. Everything looks scary and terrifying. He swallows thickly and holds on tighter to some branches as the tree continues its flight.

The dragon starts to sink lower as a castle comes in sight. The dragon lands on the ground and lays down so Liam can climb down. "Thank you." Liam tells the tree and pats the head.

Liam walks slowly towards the front door. He is reaching his hand out to turn the knob when he hears the bushes rustle. He turns around and sees a forest troll with an bowed arrow, and then he feels a familiar sting in his neck before everything turns dark.

☼

Niall, Louis and Harry are sitting quietly on the furniture next to each other. Two centaurs are standing on either side and Daniel is walking from left to right in front of them. The three angels make eye contact with each other but none of them speak. It looks like Daniel is waiting for something. The tension in the air is  too thick to breath properly.

Suddenly the door falls shut and Zayn's voice fills the air before he is seen. Niall, Louis and Harry perk up at the voice of their friend.

"Let me go!" Zayn huffs and tries to free himself from the grip that two angels have on each of his arms as they come around the corner.

"Louis!" Zayn exclaims as he sees his friends on the couch. Louis jumps to his feet but Daniel stops him "If you take one more step I am going to kill Zayn right now!" he threatens.

Louis opens his mouth to take a sharp breath in before closing it again and tucking his bottom lip between his teeth.

"How long have you known that Liam is the witch?"

Zayn doesn't reply.

"How long?" He demands, blue ice cold eyes look at him but Zayn doesn't say anything.

"I hope you are aware of in how much danger you brought not only yourself but Louis and the others, too." he says.

"We all knew, dad." Louis speaks up, voice quiet but confident.

"What?" Daniel turns to his son. "We all have known for a about two weeks." he admits.

"You knew and yet you kept him around?" Daniel asked buffed.

"Liam is not the enemy, dad." Louis continues.

"He had had two weeks to hurt us, to hurt Zayn, he didn't even know about anything of this and us." Louis counts off.

"What about the stolen eye? What about the signals? What about the fire?" Daniel says, his voice getting louder with each word.

"The eye was stolen before Liam even knew-" Louis starts.

Zayn cuts him off. "I've always had an eye on him since our first meeting, he never left camp other than to come to us." Zayn admits. "If he would have had something else in mind I would have noticed"

Daniel raises unbelieving his eyebrow. "And how?"

"The curse that Liane had put on mine and Liam's family, also protects him from me. We- we can't touch and that was never a problem until-" he says honestly but stops to take a deep breath.

Daniel adjusts his standing position and crosses his arms over his chest and waits for Zayn to continue.

"It never was a problem until he reached his full potential as a witch." Zayn says, holding eye contact.

Daniel blinks at him, silence falls between them. "How did he get his full potential?" he raises curious his eyebrow, he has an amused glint in his eyes but Zayn doesn't care.

"We trained him." Zayn says.

Louis, Harry and Niall exchange surprised looks.

"We also have found letters." Zayn says. "They are in my pocket." he adds. Daniel looks over to his son who lowers his head, then he gives a nod to one of the centaurs who shove their hands into Zayn's pocket for the letters. The centaur shows Daniel the letters, then the man walks over. He unfolds the papers and scans over the text.

"And you expect me to believe this story?" He asks with a chuckle.

Zayn clenches his jaw.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" he asks curiously.

"Because Liam is somewhere out there on his own. Someone can hurt him, someone can take him. He is not safe out there. And you are the only one can do something about it." Zayn's voice breaks halfway through.

"What about the fire, though?" Daniel stresses.

"I was with him when the fire started." he says honestly.

A door falls shut, causing everyone in the room to look towards the backstage door.

"What if there are two witches?" Virna states as she enters the room, Roni and Marisa are standing protectively behind her.

Daniel shakes laughing his head. "Two witches?"

 Virna raises both of her eyebrows. "It was proven that the fire was made by a witch. And if Zayn was with Liam, then there is only one other option." She says confident.

Daniel narrows his eyes. "You believe them?" he wonders.

"I do." Virna says without hesitation. Virna and Roni nod in agreement. "They have no reason to lie." she says with a shake of her head.

"Dad, just trust me." Louis says. Daniel turns around to face his son.

"I don't want to put this world into danger, son."

"You will though, if the wrong people get their hands on Liam. And if there is really another witch out there, you are just wasting your time on Liam, while a greater danger is out there." Louis says.

Daniel nibbles on the bottom of lip "Ok." He says then, eyes locked with Louis'. Louis lets out a breath of relief, a thank you is forming on his lips, but his dad is already speaking.

"The other witch has to be someone who knows about you, and this world and their power." He says.

All four angels go back in time, trying to find someone alarming.

Suddenly Zayn furrows his eyebrows. "Charlie." he says under his breath and looks up, "Charlie!" he says louder.

"Right, I could never see her.” Louis agrees.

“The story about me kidnapping her in the middle of the night. It was _her_!" Zayn rambles and rubs the side of his face.

"But Leeroy had only _one_ child with Martha, where does _her_ mom come from?" Daniel questions.

"What if he had an affair? And a half witch was born?" Virna chimes in. "If she is only a half witch, then she will try to kill him to get to her full potential."

"Lanzo!" Niall jumps up from the couch. "He and Charlie are partners. As things got heated because the eldest found out about the witch, he had taken her away. Making sure that Liam knew that Lanzo has her. She knew he would follow her." He adds.

"Walking straight into the trap!" Harry finishes.

"Liam!" Zayn starts panicking and tries to free himself.

The three other angels are on their feet now, too.

"Ok, you guys calm down. I will take care of it. You are going to stay here and wait."

Zayn huffs. "I can't just stay here and do nothing!" he yells while trying to free himself, but fails.

"I trust you on this matter. Now you have to trust me." Daniel says, holding eye contact with Zayn. Zayn calms down, legs almost giving up.

"Fine. But bring him back to me, just bring him back!" Zayn pleads.

Daniel swallows thickly as he looks into Zayn's eyes, they mirror worry and fear.

"I'll try." he says and walks towards the hallway that leads to the door.

"Thanks dad." Louis speaks up and locks eyes with his father. The man gives a nod and then disappears out of the room.

Zayn drops forward, he would have fallen on his knees if the centaurs next to him wouldn't be holding on to him. "The answer was right in front of my eyes. I should have known something was up as soon as Liam threw the whole kidnapping bullshit at me. She did that on purpose." he says and starts to clench his entire body.

"Zayn." Louis runs towards his friend and knees down on the ground. "Look at me." he says calm. Zayn does. Louis takes Zayn's head into his hands. "It is not your fault."

"You couldn't even see her, we should have known that something was up with her." Zayn continues and drops his head again.

Louis looks up at the centaurs and asks a question without voicing it. They let go of Zayn, but stay behind him. Zayn falls to his knees and Louis scoots him up into his arms.

☼

***

Liam was back in the house in the forest, he heared dishes cling and a familiar female voice whistling happily as he stepped closer to the kitchen threshold. His heart beat quickly in his chest and his hands were sweating by his side. He took slow steps forward, one at a time, then he entered the kitchen.

He saw Liane at the sink, washing the dishes, unaware of his presence. He stepped close to her and stopped right behind her. She definitely must be aware of his presence now, but she didn't turn around.

He counted to three in his head and then the woman in front of him fell to the ground. It's just now that Liam saw the dagger in his right hand, it's just now that he saw the blood everywhere. He turned back around and caught himself in a mirror, that's where he is saw the reflection of no other than Leeroy.

***

Liam tears his eyes open and startles to his feet. He feels a sharp pain in his neck and looks around. His right arm is reaching towards the pain. He doesn't know where he is, it's cold and dark and all he sees is a dark silhouette of something that looks like a bed. He walks over and sits down on it before tearing at his own hair. He tries to itch his ankle when he realizes he has another bracelet around his skin.

"You are awake." a raw voice says. It's only now as the dark shadow moves, he sees the figure of a man. "I am pretty sure my dear cousin will find you-" He says and walks towards the cage he is in. "Too bad it'll be too late by then." he says and the lock clicks open.

"What do you want from me?" Liam shouts through the darkness and the shadow of Lanzo comes closer.

"L-Liam?" a frightened yell echos through the air.

"Charlie?" Liam perks up and narrows his eyes at Lanzo.

"If you do as I say, then I won't have to hurt her." he says and emphasises what he says while showing him his knife. Liam clenches his fists next to his body and doesn't move, not even as the shadow comes closer and not even when he feels the breath from the younger man hit his face.

"Good, now that that is settled." he says and steps around Liam before laying his arms around him. Liam tenses, his arms are stone hard and cold and nothing like Zayn's soft and warm ones. He doesn't move, though.

Lanzo's fingers curl around his wrist to pull his arm up. His chin is resting hard on Liam's shoulder. "Make a fire over your hand. You seem to have practice with that." he jokes and turns Liam's hand, so his palm faces upwards.

"I can't because of the bracelet." Liam says, his jaw is jiggling. A dry chuckle is going straight through his ear, making him shiver at the cold air hitting him. "Oh you will, we’ll be very powerful together." Lanzo huffs into his ear. Liam doesn’t move and doesn't reply. "Or, your little friend has to pay for your stubbornness."

Liam bites on his lip and obeys. The fire is sizzling in his hand as he feels Lanzo's power melting with his in the flame. "Enough of that." he says and Liam stops. Lanzo drags Liam out of the cage and along a hallway. They stop in a room with a fireplace. Lanzo steps around Liam again, he uses his hand to raise Liam's arm and then the fire starts sizzling. "It's getting pretty cozy, now. What do you think?" he asks as he steps in front of Liam. Liam glares at him. "I have always wanted to reconstruct the furniture" he says witty and disappears behind Liam again.

Ten minute later they have moved every single furniture around. The angel drops to his knees in front of Liam and cuts the bracelet off before getting back up. He is standing on eye level with Liam. He lays his hand on Liam's shoulder. No electrical shock goes through them, and a wide grin crosses Lanzo's lips when Liam's eyes turn red.

☼

"What do you mean, you didn't find them?" Zayn yells at the man.

"I told you I would try everything I can. No guards saw where Liam disappeared to with the tree." Daniel explains.

"Someone must have seen something!" Zayn argues from the ground. He is sitting against the wall, knees touching his chest as he glares Daniel in front of him. A few tears slip out of his eyes. "There must be something." he says and wipes with his arm over his eyes.

"We visited Lazarus and he doesn't know where his son is. So it could be that Liam is with him and Charlie." Daniel says. Zayn hits the back of the wall of the club with his fist.

A moment of silence fills the room. "I think I have an idea." Zayn blurs out, then. New hope buzzing through his blood as he gets to his feet. "For that I have to go the water nymphs lake, though." he says.

Daniel wants to decline but something in Zayn's eyes lets him agree. "I am coming with you, though." he says.

"Me too." Louis adds.

Daniel turns around to face his son, "Ok." he says then. They can't lose more time.

About ten centaurs are building a secure wall behind the five angels. Zayn has no idea where to go from here. Tjaša and Paul always have been there. He looks through the water while thinking, when suddenly two dark shadows appear in the depths of the water. The shadows become bigger and bigger the close they reach the surface, then the two water nymphs faces appear.

"They flew into the forbidden forest. The lake will lead you the way." Paul whispers.

"Please be careful." Tjaša says worried.

"Thank you." Zayn says and pecks both of the nymphs heads before turning around.

"The forbidden forest. The lake will lead us to where he is." Zayn says, eyes locked with Daniel. "I am going on my own. I don't want anyone to risk their lives because of me." he says and starts flying away without waiting for a response.

"After all of those years, you should know better, Zayn." Louis' voice echos through the air. He turns around and finds Louis, Niall and Harry behind him.

 "Guys-" Zayn starts but Harry cuts him off by flying past him. The red winged angel watches his brothers fly by, white wings leading the way. Daniel appears next to them. "More help is on the way." he says.

They follow the lake into the darkness. And indeed. They find a castle in the middle of  the forest. They land to investigate the front of the building.

"What's that?" Daniel furrows his eyebrow at the creatures that are walking around at the front.

"It's called _Elwetritsche._ " Harry informs.

"Liam said that his mom had told him stories about those creatures that can only be controlled by witches blood."

"Maybe it works after having had a witch inside of you, too" Niall suggests.

Harry and Louis snort. "Immature, all of you." Daniel huffs under his breath, but a smile is tugging on his lips before he shakes giggling his head.

"Is my dad laughing about a gay sex joke?" Louis asks amused.

"That was funny." Daniel admits. "Change of subject, how do we get past them?" he adds.

No one replies. "There, the tree." Zayn points to the dragon tree.

"It nearly killed you, once, remember?" Niall points out.

"Yes, because Zayn is the cursed one." Louis begins, face turned towards Niall who is next to him, then he turns his head to look at Harry, but he is already gone.

"H-" Louis starts but cuts himself off as he sees Harry getting closer to the grass eating tree. "Wasn't he taught to never touch an eating animal?" Louis mumbles under his breath.

" _Oh oh._ " Niall says alarmed.

" _Oh oh_ what?" Louis repeats in the same voice, then he sees one of the Elewetrische making its way towards Harry.

"Harry!" Louis yells and reaches for the closest branch and runs over the field towards Harry, catching the attention of the other animals.

Harry's back is turned towards the attacker, his hand is reaching out to the tree.

"Don't fucking touch my _boyfriend_ , you pig!" Louis yells as he reaches Harry's side and hits the Elwetrische on the head. It screeches loudly, the tree shies away and flies into the sky.

Harry turns around, shock written all over his face."B-boyfriend?" Harry stumbles over his words, totally unaware of the animal that nearly killed him. His eyes are frozen on Louis' face. Louis is focused on the Elwetritsche in front of him, though. He hits it one more time on the head, it screeches one more time and Louis shoves his branch forward into the beak. The creature starts running in circles while flapping with its wings.

"You have to shove the branch into their beaks!" Louis yells, informing the others as he picks up two more branches that are by his feet. He gives one to Harry without looking at him, his eyes are focused on the others.

"Boyfriend?" Harry says again.

Louis pulls Harry on his hand towards the others, immediately two more creatures come running towards them. "Yes, that's what I said. If you want to reject me, please do it later when-" Louis cuts himself off to hit the creature with his branch before shoving it into the beak. He turns, his back stays against Harry's as he tries to find another stick. He bends down to pick one up. His back is still resting comforting against Harry's.

"Why do you think I would reject you?" Harry says then and shoves his branch into the beak of the animal in front of him.

"I don't know, you-" Louis starts and is turned around by his waist and then Harry's lips are on his.

"I like boyfriend, _boyfriend_." Harry says.

"Less kissing and more fighting guys, I need help!" Niall's voice is shaky as he tries to walk backwards. Three Elwetrische are cornering him.

Harry and Louis pull away from each other and run over, hitting each one on the head to get their attention. They turn around and start to chase the other two. Another hit to the head and one quick motion to shove the stick into their beaks.

It's silent. Except of the angels heavy breathing.

"Were that all?" Niall asks, legs shaking a little under his weight.

The five meet in the middle, back to back, building a circle while looking around. They see about 20 creatures running around in circles with a branch between their beaks. "We should hurry inside before they free themselves." Daniel says and the five run towards the entrance of the castle.

In that moment the tree comes down and blocks their way while groaning loudly at Zayn. Lous bents down and picks up a vine from the ground. "Catch!" he says, and throws the vine behind them, the tree jumps over them and runs after it.

"Well that was too easy." Louis pouts but follows the others inside.

☼

Liam is sitting at the table and stares into the soup on the table. "You should eat something." Lanzo says. "You can refuse talking to me as much as you want, Zayn isn't going to be able to help you this time." he grins.

Liam swallows thickly as Lanzo reads his mind. He shoves the bowl away. Lanzo  steps in front of him and shoves the bowl back and stares into Liam's eyes until they turn red "Eat!" he demands and Liam does. "See, it's not that hard." he grins winning as Liam eats the soup.

"Your red eyes suit you better." he points out and gets up. "I'll be back." he sing songs as he disappears. Liam still feels Lanzo control him through his mind as he walks away. A few moments later he is coming back, a firm grip on Charlie's upper arm before pushing her onto the floor.

"Charlie!" Liam rushes to her side. She is crying. Liam tries to get the hair out of her face but it keeps falling forwards by the way she is holding her head. One moment she is crying, in the other the crying changes into a dry laugh before she pushes Liam away from her with a bright smile on her lips.

Liam just stares at her, mouth open.

"You made it too easy for me. I was hoping for a bit of a challenge." She sighs disappointed and steps next to Lanzo who lays his arm around her. "I almost had you, but then you started that alliance with Zayn and we had  to change our plan." She says, pulling a face when she says Zayn's name.

Liam can't find his words, he can't move from the ground either, he is just staring at her. "I was a bit worried you'd figure it out after I healed your rash that Zayn gave you." Liam just blinks up at her. "And his constant visits. We would have been long done with you, but he always showed up, always was right there which-" She raises her eyebrows as her eyes light up. "He is not here now. And he won't."

Liam tries to form words but he can't.

"Enough of that. Let's get down to business" She says and pulls a dagger out. Liam's eyes widen as he tries to crawl away but the wall stops him from doing so.

"Why?" Liam finally brings over his lips.

Charlie tilts her head to the side and crouches down in front of him. "Because Leeroy was also my great grandfather but my great grandma isn't Martha, a witch. Mine is Veronica, the daughter of-"

"Zaahir." Liam finishes for her.

"Bingo." she chrips happily and drops the dagger to the ground in front  him before getting back to her feet.

Liam looks at the dagger and then back to Charlie and Lanzo.

"Since I am only a half witch, the full witch has to die until I can get my full potential." she says. Charlie turns around and nods at Lanzo. Lanzo takes over Liam's mind and makes him reach for the dagger.

The door flings open and Zayn and others come inside. "Liam!" Zayn exclaims as he sees him on the ground.

"Zayn!" Liam cries out.

"I am here." Zayn rambles and knees in front of Liam. "Liam, look at me!" Zayn pleads, his hands are shaking by Liam's side. "Liam!" Zayn says, his shaky hands are now touching Liam's cheek.

Liam looks up. – red meet brown.

"Lanzo!" Zayn beggs and cups his hands over Liam's on the dagger.

"It wasn't Zaahir." Liam says and blinks at Zayn. "It was Leeroy who killed the witch."

"What?" Zayn furrows confused his eyebrows and tightens his grip around the dagger. "Leeroy did it. Zayn. Not Zaahir."

"But how-?" Daniel cuts in.

"Great grandma Liane wasn't as smart as she thought she was. She only cursed the person who the murder weapon belonged to, and not the actual murder." Charlie explains.

"But why would Leeroy kill his own mother?" Niall questions.

"Well, she forbid him being with Veronica whereas she had an affair with Heather. Leeroy saw them dancing one day and that was the end of Grandma Liane." Charlie says.

"How do you know?" Daniel questions.

"We have his diary." she says and makes a head gesture to a table in the room.

"Zayn I can't stop it." Liam cries as the dagger is starting to burry itself into his skin.

"You can. Of course you can." Zayn says calm and holds eye contact with Liam. Liam feels Zayn's fingers curl tighter around his own. "Remember how I said that we don't break promises?" Zayn says and Liam nods.

Zayn leans in and brushes his lips against Liam's. At the touch, an electrical shock goes through both of them, Zayn uses that shock wave to drag the dagger backwards with him. Liam's head bumps against the wall behind him.

Zayn recovery quickly and rushes over towards his cousin and holds the dagger to his neck.

"How is that-?" Lanzo begins but cuts himself off as Zayn puts pressure onto the dagger that is laying his skin. He can see Liam's blood on it from where it was digging into his flesh.

"You are not going to kill me, are you cousin?" Lanzo narrows his eyes.

Zayn can hear Daniel taking care of Charlie. Harry and Louis and Niall are talking to Liam. "I really should." Zayn groans and glares at the man.

"Zayn!" Daniels calls him, catching Zayn's attention. He keeps his grip around Lanzo and turns around. He sees the centaurs entering the room, two are guarding Charlie out of the room. Two others are coming towards him and he hands his cousin over.

He immediately sinks down next to Liam on the ground. "Liam, are you alright?" He asks and Liam gives him a weak smile, eyes blinking slowly. "Liam?" Zayn leans in closer.

“Zayn.” Niall stops his friend and points towards the bracelet laying next to them on the ground.

"Who is Liam?" Liam questions then and coughs.

"You are Liam, Liam look at me!" Zayn beggs and Liam does.

Brown eyes lock with brown eyes.

Daniel appears behind Zayn, "He will be fine, you should go. It's for the better if he doesn't remember." he says.

Zayn tucks his bottom lip between his teeth before tucking his necklace off and hanging it around Liam's neck. Liam blinks up at Zayn one last time, and watches him leave.

"Here, drink this." Harry says and hands Liam a small bottle. Liam obeys, he drinks it, and then he falls into a temporary sleep.

"Daniel!" A Centaur calls the man.

"Yes?" Daniel turns around.

"We have found the eye." he says. Daniel furrows his eyebrows and turns around. He follows the centaur to a table. They find an old notebook, it must be Leeroy's diary and next to it, on a red soft pillow is it. The eye.

"That's a stone." Niall points out from behind him.

"A very powerful one, though." Daniel corrects.

**  
**

#  Epilogue

 

Liam blinks a few times with closed eyes, he feels something cold and wet against his face, then loud barking cuts through his brain, attacking it with piercing stitches.

"Over here!" A voice calls and more feet trumbling is hearable over the ground.

 "Good girl." A voice says and then a few hands are touching Liam everywhere.

He stirs and then opens his eyes.

"He is awake. We need the stretcher!" A voice shouts, it's too loud for his brain. He groans in pain.

"Liam, stay with us, can you tell us the name of your mom?"

"Melanie Payne." he says, voice raw.

"Can you tell us the last thing you remember."

"I-I wanted to get a yellow ball from the kids I am instructing." He says and coughs as he is being heaved onto the stretcher. Then he is being shoved through the forest, he doesn't look at the trees nor at the sky, he is closing his eyes.

"That happened 19 days ago. Case of Amnesia." Those words aren't told to him, but he hears them nonetheless.

"Do you remember finding the ball?"

"No." Liam says.

"Liam!" his mom's voice echos in his ear. He forces one eye open as she touches his face. Her soft touch is familiar and comfortable on his skin.

☼

Liam wakes up in the hospital, everything around him is bright.

"Liam!" a young voice exclaims happily.

Liam feels someone climbing ontop of him before they sit down on his belly. Liam opens his eyes.

"I brought you this picture to help you to get better faster." the boy beams.

"Thank you Aalam." Liam chuckles.

"Remember? I drew it for you." he says excited.

"It is beautifu.l" Liam smiles sleepy at the excited boy.

 "Can you tell who it is?" he asks teasing.

 Liam squints his eyes at the paper. It's a man, with red wings. Some lines are smoother than others, it looks familiar.

"It is your angel." he whispers.

Liam blinks at the boy.

"It's real." The boy on top of him says.

Liam furrows his eyebrows, he feels like he is missing out on something. Is it a story they were told? Is it a story he had told. The door swings open and a young man with raven hair enters, "Aalam, come on, you have to go back to camp." the man says gentle.

The man, he is wearing a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt and a leather jacket. He has a blond quiff. Just like the angel on the paper.

Aalam climbs off the bed. He places the paper on top of Liam's belly and takes the hand from the man at the door.

 "What do you mean?" Liam asks, then.

"Everything." Aalam replies with a grin.

Liam moves his eyes from the paper to the man in the threshold. Then Liam is reaching for the necklace around his neck.

This wasn't the last time he saw the mysterious raven haired man. He saw him everyday when he went for a walk in the hospital, he saw him in a car passing by when he was on his way home with his mom.

He sees him when he goes grocery shopping in his home town. He sees him downtown in the coffee shop.

He has Aalam's picture in his room, above his bed against the wall. And Liam swears, the wings move whenever he looks at it.

Not a day goes by, that he doesn't think about Aalam's words.

_"It's real. Everything."_

And even though his brain knows better, he can't stop himself from believing it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it. And I hope it made sense. Because sometimes I feel like it doesn't.


End file.
